FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Flanagan & Defar ready to Rock 'n' Roll In Philadelphia
-Professional women's field announced for the inaugural ING Rock 'n' Roll
Philadelphia Half Marathon
-Meseret Defar to make her half-marathon debut vs. U.S. Olympian Shalane
Flanagan
-Watch a live webcast of the men's race Sunday morning at Competitor.com
-Women's race video to be posted in its entirety Sunday afternoon on
Competitor.com
PHILADELPHIA - (September 17, 2010) - As the site of five World and three
American records, the race formerly known as the Philadelphia Distance Run
is positioned for another historic performance in 2010. Featuring one of
the most decorated half-marathon fields ever assembled, the newly branded
ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon promises one of the fastest
women's half marathons ever run on American soil. The current record,
1:07:52, was set by Ethiopia's Berhane Adere at this February's Rock 'n'
Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon in New Orleans, besting the old mark held by
America's Deena Kastor from her win in Philadelphia in 2005.
Shalane Flanagan, America's Olympic 10,000 meter bronze medalist from
Beijing '08, carries America's hopes in Philadelphia as she preps for her
November 7th marathon debut at the ING New York City Marathon. 29 year-old
Flanagan is the reigning U.S. half marathon champion, winning the 2010
Houston Half Marathon in her debut at the distance in 69:41 this January.
This Sunday she will square off against 2004 Olympic 5000 meter champion
and multiple track world record holder Meseret Defar of Ethiopia who is
competing in the first half marathon of her illustrious career.
"I am excited to be racing my second half marathon at the first ever ING
Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia," said Flanagan. "The race will be an essential
test in my build up to the New York marathon and I am looking forward to a
great day in Philly!"
At the age of 26, Defar is destined to go down as one of the best distance
runners - male or female - in history. She was the Olympic 5000m champion
in 2004, the World Champion in 2007, and has set six World Records, four of
which are still standing. She is a four-time and current IAAF World Indoor
3000 meter champion, and nine-time IAAF World Athletics Final Champion.
Last year she was ranked #1 in the world at 5000m by Track & Field News.
She holds a track PR of 14:12.88, the number two performance of all-time.
Alongside Defar will be the Ethopian trio of Derartu Tulu, Werknesh Kidane,
and Teyba Erkesso. 38 year-old Tulu is the queen of Ethiopian running,
having captured two Olympic gold medals in the 10,000 meters (1992
Barcelona & 2000 Sydney), and added a bronze in Athens 2004. She is also
the defending ING New York City Marathon champion, a race she entered after
her fourth place finish here in Philadelphia in the half marathon.
Werknesh Kidane won the 2005 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach,
and will be making her marathon debut along with Flanagan in New York City
November 7th. She has won eight World Cross Country medals, including gold
in 2003, the most by any woman in history. The youngest of the Ethiopian
champions at age 27 is Teyba Erkesso, winner of the 2009 Boston Marathon.
Erkesso set her half-marathon PR of 67:41 at Ras Al Khaimah earlier this
year.
Flanagan and the Ethiopians will be challenged by 2006 Philadelphia
champion Lineth Chepkirui of Kenya, who has been tearing up the U.S. road
racing circuit this year. In May she set a road world record with her
38:07 win at the Bay to Breakers 12K in San Francisco. She has the fastest
10K in the world so far in 2010 with a 30:45 win at the Crescent City
Classic 10K in New Orleans, and has taken impressive wins at the Bloomsday
12K in Spokane, Washington, the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington D.C.,
the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta, and the Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape
Elizabeth, Maine. Also prepping for the ING New York City Marathon in
November is New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith, winner of four NCAA
championships at Providence College. Smith holds the New Zealand marathon
record of 2:25:21 which she ran in finishing eighth at the London Marathon
in April. It was her debut at the distance. She set her half-marathon
personal best of 1:07:55 from the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half
Marathon in New Orleans, which is the third-fastest time ever run on U.S.
soil.
Japan's Yuri Kano, who has a 1:08:57 personal best, comes to the event with
Rock 'n' Roll experience winning the 2008 Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half
Marathon, before going on to finish second that year in Tokyo Marathon.
Other Americans include 2008 Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Runner-Up Katie
McGregor and Serena Burla who owns a 1:10:08 half-marathon PR, finishing
second to Flanagan this year in Houston.
The 69-minute mark has been broken by women in Philadelphia five times,
with Deena Kastor's 1:07:53 from 2005 still standing as the event record.
The professional field of elite runners will be introduced at the event
press conference on Friday, September 17at 3:00 pm in the Health & Fitness
Expo at the ING Runner's Lounge.
For 32 years the race had been called the "Philadelphia Distance Run." The
revamped event, managed by San Diego-based Competitor Group, has been
rebranded as part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and drawn entrants
from all 50 states and 23 countries.
The race will begin Sunday at 8:00 am on the Ben Franklin Parkway in front
of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Although the course of the Philadelphia
Half-Marathon has been slightly modified for this year to accommodate the
record 18,700 entrants, it remains flat and fast, starting and finishing in
front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at Eakins Oval.
For more information, please visit www.competitor.com
About Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia
A Competitor event, the sold-out ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half
Marathon will welcome a record 18,700+ runners to the City of Brotherly
Love on Sunday, September 19. Known for 32-years as the Philadelphia
Distance Run, one of the premiere half-marathons in the world, the event
has been rebranded as part of the nationwide Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series.
The 2010 race will feature live bands and cheerleaders entertaining
participants along each mile of the historic 13.1 mile course, the home of
five World and three U.S. records.
Event weekend kicks off Friday, September 17 with a free two-day Health &
Fitness Expo at Philadelphia Convention Center, which is open to the
public. The Expo, where all participants pick up their race number, will
feature over 100 exhibitors with free samples, the latest in running
apparel and a full schedule of interactive clinics. The men's will be
broadcast LIVE on Competitor.com beginning at 7:55 am EST. The women's race
will be shown later in the day. The event concludes Sunday afternoon with a
finish line festival and post-race concert in front of the Philadelphia Art
Museum. For more information, visit: philadelphia.competitor.com
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