FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Past Champions Martin Lel and Marlison Gomes dos Santos
Return to ING New York City Marathon
2009 Women's Champion Derartu Tulu to Defend Her Crown on November 7
Cheruiyot, Goumri, Kwambai, and Petrova Also Return to the Streets of New York
New York, September 30, 2010-Three-time London and two-time ING New York
City Marathon champion Martin Lel will go head-to-head against Marilson
Gomes dos Santos, also a two-time victor, at the ING New York City Marathon
2010 on Sunday, November 7, it was announced today by New York Road Runners
president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg.
Defending champion and double Olympic gold medalist Derartu Tulu hopes to
continue her success in New York when she toes the line on November 7.
Four-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and two-time
NYC runner-up Abderrahim Goumri will join Lel, dos Santos, previously
announced marathon world-record holder Haile Gebreselassie, and defending
champion Meb Keflezighi in the men's division. On the women's side, 2000
New York City Marathon winner Ludmila Petrova will race against Tulu, as
well as American Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan in her marathon debut,
Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain, and reigning World Half-Marathon Champion
Mary Keitany of Kenya.
Any repeat winner of the ING New York City Marathon earns a $200,000
first-place prize, the largest first-place road racing prize within the
United States or the World Marathon Majors.
"It's so inspiring to see many of our past champions coming back to the
stage where they once were victorious," said Wittenberg. "They have been an
inspiration to runners and spectators from around the world."
Lel, 31, of Kenya, is one of the winningest athletes at the marathon
distance. A two-time champion of the ING New York City Marathon (2003,
2007), Lel is also a three-time champion of the London Marathon, where he
set his marathon personal best in 2008 of 2 hours, 5 minutes, 15 seconds.
Lel came in fifth at the 2008 Beijing Olympic men's marathon. In 2010, he
won the Rock 'N Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon in New Orleans.
Dos Santos, 33, of Brazil, is the only South American champion of the ING
New York City Marathon; he won in 2006 and 2008. Dos Santos holds numerous
South American records, including the 5000 meters (13:19.43), 10,000 meters
(27:28.12), and half-marathon (59:33).
Tulu, 38, of Ethiopia, has been on the running scene for many years, dating
back to her first of four Olympics in 1992, when she won gold in the 10,000
meters and became the first black African woman to win Olympic gold in any
event. Tulu also competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic games and won
another 10,000-meter gold in 2000. In 2009, Tulu was victorious at the ING
New York City Marathon in a time of 2:28:52.
Other top contenders in the ING New York City Marathon:
Cheruiyot, 32, of Kenya, is a four-time champion of the Boston Marathon,
with his most recent victory coming in 2008. He also won the 2006 Chicago
Marathon. Cheruiyot finished second in the ING New York City Marathon 2009
to Keflezighi in 2:09:56.
Goumri, 34, of Morocco, is a two-time Olympian who finished 20th in the
marathon in Beijing. Goumri finished second at the ING New York City
Marathon 2008. He also finished third at the 2010 ING Rock 'N Roll
Philadelphia Half-Marathon in mid-September.
Henrick Ramaala, 38, of South Africa, is a two-time Olympian (2000 and
2004) and two-time World Championships medalist in the half-marathon.
Ramaala won the ING New York City Marathon 2004, and finished second to
Paul Tergat in 2005 in the closest finish in marathon history. The same
year, he won the Mumbai Marathon.
James Kwambai, 27, of Kenya, is the third fastest man in history at the
marathon distance, after finishing second at the 2009 Rotterdam Marathon in
2:04:27. He finished fifth in the ING New York City Marathon 2007.
Petrova, 41, became the first Russian to win the ING New York City Marathon
when she triumphed in 2000. Twice an Olympian, Petrova finished eighth in
the marathon at the Athens Games. Petrova placed second in the ING New York
City Marathon in both 2008 and 2009.
Paige Higgins of the United States has been forced to withdraw from the
race with a foot injury. "I can't express in words how disappointed I am,"
Higgins told NYRR officials in an e-mail message. "I don't know why this
happened, and I still can't even believe that this is the reality of my
situation."
New York Road Runners
Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners is dedicated to
advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and
meeting our community's needs. Our goal is to use the expertise acquired in
our 52-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier lives
through participation in our races, community events, instruction and
training resources, and youth programs. Our races and other events draw
more than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR's
premier event, is the largest and most inclusive marathon in the world,
attracting the world's top professional runners every year and raising
nearly $25 million for charity in 2009. NYRR's running-based youth
programs, which currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of
schools and community centers, promote children's health and fitness,
character development, and personal achievement in underserved communities.
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 a
worldwide broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the more than
830,000 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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