FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympian Ryan Hall to Make Debuts at
ING New York City Marathon 2009 and NYC Half-Marathon
Hall returns to the streets of New York as a leading contender in the 40th
running of the five-borough classic in November and at the famed NYC
Half-Marathon in August
New York, July 23, 2009—America's best marathoner, Ryan Hall, will make his
long-awaited debut at this year's most famous New York running events, the
ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, and at the NYC
Half-Marathon on Sunday, August 16, it was announced today by New York Road
Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
"Many have been waiting for this day, including all of us at NYRR,"
Wittenberg said. "We are so glad that this is the year that Ryan Hall will
take on the history, the hills, the competition, and all that New York can
throw at an athlete in his or her quest to be not only America's best, but
one of the world's best. It is doubly exciting to announce Ryan in both the
NYC Half-Marathon and the ING New York City Marathon."
Hall, 26, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, had one of his career's finest performances
in New York's Central Park at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's
Marathon when he broke the Olympic Trials record with his winning time of
two hours, nine minutes, and two seconds. Hall went on to finish 10th in
the 2008 Beijing Olympic marathon in a time of 2:12:33. The first American
to finish the Boston Marathon earlier this year, placing third overall in a
time of 2:09:40, Hall will be making his ING New York City Marathon debut.
"I've been out to New York to watch the marathon every year since 2006, and
now I'm thrilled to run on the streets of New York for what will be my
sixth marathon," Hall said. "My previous marathons and thousands of miles
logged in training have prepared me for the opportunity to try and win in
New York. I couldn't ask for a bigger stage to get to compete on, and I'm
honored to be a part of the great American and international field that
NYRR are bringing out."
Hall has been one of America's top marathoners since his compelling debut
at the distance in London in 2007, when he finished seventh in 2:08:24, the
fastest debut marathon ever run by an American. In 2008, he became the
second-fastest American marathoner of all time when he ran 2:06:17 to take
fifth place at that year's Flora London Marathon.
Hall and his previously announced 2008 Olympian teammate, Brian Sell, are
the first invited entrants in the ING New York City Marathon 2009.
Hall will also be a leading contender in the NYC Half-Marathon, which
attracts the world's leading professional athletes, in addition to a
sold-out field of more than 10,000 runners from around the world. Runners
were admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, a change from the
lottery entry process that was used in previous years. Athletes will be
vying for a prize purse of more than $70,000, with the men's and women's
winners each receiving $10,000.
On a course designed to celebrate New York City, the NYC Half-Marathon will
take runners on a loop through Central Park, down Seventh Avenue through
Times Square, across 42nd Street, and along the expansive West Side Highway
to Battery Park in the heart of the city's financial district, finishing
with a view of the Statue of Liberty.
New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners, founded in 1958, is dedicated to promoting the sport
of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding
to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards
of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website
support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of more
than 100, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City
Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and
cross country events. NYRR's home base in New York, and its lifelong
identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic
status, attracting the world's top professional runners. Our youth programs
provide running to nearly 100,000 schoolchildren in New York City, around
the country, and in South Africa who would otherwise have few or no fitness
opportunities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.
The ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon
is one of the world's great road races, drawing nearly 105,000 applicants.
The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the
more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the
media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and more
than 300 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the nearly
788,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central
Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit
www.ingnycmarathon.org.
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