FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
De Reuck Named USATF Masters Athlete of the Year
INDIANAPOLIS - Colleen De Reuck has been named the 2009 Masters Athlete of
the Year by USA Track & Field's Masters Committee. De Reuck will be honored
on Saturday, December 5, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind.
The event is held in conjunction with USA Track & Field's 2009 Annual
Meeting.
At 45 years old, Colleen De Reuck is the oldest woman ever to win a major
U.S. championship, having won the 2009 U.S. 20 km Championships by a margin
of 17 seconds. De Reuck took control before the halfway point of the race
to win the women's crown in 1 hour 07 minutes 21 seconds.
At the Boston Marathon this year, not only was De Reuck in contention
throughout the entire race, she took the lead on three separate occasions.
She was crowned the masters winner and finished an astounding eighth
overall, covering the course in 2:37:57.
De Reuck's other top performances in 2009 includes finishing second overall
in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in 2:32:37. The race also played host
to the USA Masters Marathon Championships, which saw De Reuck win the W45
age group, and the USA Women's Marathon Championships, in which she
finished as the runner-up. De Reuck also won the masters division at the
Falmouth Road Race and finished fifth overall.
"It is great that master runners get recognized for their achievements,"
said Colleen. It is an honor to receive this award, I am very excited and
thrilled."
"The most astounding thing about Colleen is that she is a four-time
Olympian and she has continued running," said USATF Masters Long Distance
Running Committee Chair Don Lein. "Most of our Olympians do not compete as
masters, but she has continued on, showing her love for the sport and her
love for running. She continues to have outstanding performances which is
why we are honoring her."
About Masters track & field and long-distance running
Millions of Americans take part in masters long distance running or track
and field, with roughly 53 percent of all male and 40 percent of female
road-race finishers being over age 40. A celebration of fitness and healthy
living at any age, masters competition features men and women over the age
of 40, setting new standards for what is possible as Americans age.
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and
field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF
encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched
events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school
participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United
States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org.
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