FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Martin Lel, Emmanuel Mutai, and Jo Pavey Join the Field for
the ING New York City Marathon
Juan Luis Barrios and Jaouad Gharib also prepare for the November 6 race at
England's BUPA Great North Run
New York, September 13, 2011-Two-time New York City Marathon champion
Martin Lel, 2011 Virgin London Marathon champion Emmanuel Mutai, and 2011
BUPA London 10,000 champion Jo Pavey will join the already stellar field
for the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6, it was announced
today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
Lel, Mutai, and Pavey will be joined this weekend by Olympians Juan Luis
Barrios and Jaouad Gharib at the BUPA Great North Run in Newcastle,
England, as they ready themselves for November's ING New York City
Marathon.
"The field for the ING New York City Marathon 2011 is going to blockbuster
strong," said Wittenberg. "We're ensured a great race when we have the
likes of two-time champion Martin Lel, London champion Emmanuel Mutai, and
perennial contender Jaouad Gharib. And we're honored to host Jo Pavey as
she continues her buildup to the London 2012 Olympics in her home country."
Lel, 33, of Kenya, has run the ING New York City Marathon twice and won it
both times, in 2003 and 2007. He has also won three London Marathons and
has placed in the top three in 11 of his 12 marathon finishes. Lel bounced
back from two years of injuries last spring when he finished second in
London. This will mark his first return to the ING New York City Marathon
since his 2007 victory.
Mutai, 27, of Kenya, finished second at the ING New York City Marathon 2010
behind champion Gebre Gebremariam, who will also be back in 2011. Mutai set
his personal best this past spring when he smashed the course record at the
Virgin London Marathon with a time of 2:04:40, winning by 1:05 and becoming
the fourth-fastest marathoner in history on a certified course.
"I always aim for the win and I prefer to do that in the biggest races our
sport has, so it's an honor to be part of the ING New York City Marathon
again," said Mutai. "Winning New York would mean I have won two of the
biggest races in the world in one year. I know I have a chance to win the
overall World Marathon Major title as well, but I can't battle in two races
at the same time. So I will just do the maximum during the race and the
only place to count points is behind the finish line in Central Park."
Pavey, 38, of England, will make her ING New York City Marathon debut this
year after making her marathon debut in London this past April. (She
finished 19th in 2:28:24.) Pavey had two strong New York City finishes
earlier this year: sixth at the NYC Half in March (1:09:33) and seventh at
the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June (32:46).
"I'm really excited to be coming back to New York to race for the third
time this year, and to be finally toeing the line in Staten Island," said
Pavey. "No marathon career would be complete without competing in the ING
New York City Marathon, and it's great that my second marathon will be in a
race that has such a tremendous history. NYRR has assembled a strong field,
and a world-class race is exactly what I need ahead of an Olympic year. The
marathon is new to me and I'm finding the new challenge really motivating-I
can't wait for November 6th!"
Barrios, 28, of Mexico, was a 5000-meter finalist at the 2008 Olympic
Games, finishing seventh. He made his marathon debut earlier this year at
the Lala International Marathon in Mexico and finished third in 2:14:20. In
2010, Barrios earned two golds at the Central American & Caribbean Games in
the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters.
Gharib, 38, of Morocco, is the Moroccan record-holder for both the
half-marathon (59:59) and the marathon (2:05:27). He finished second in the
2008 Beijing Olympic marathon in 2:07:16, and he won IAAF World
Championships Marathon gold in 2003 and 2005. Earlier this year, Gharib
finished sixth at the Virgin London Marathon in 2:08:26.
In addition to Gebremariam, others previously announced for the men's race
include 2009 champion Meb Keflezighi and fellow Americans Bobby Curtis and
Ed Moran. In the women's race, Pavey will face defending champion Edna
Kiplagat, Americans Jen Rhines, Lauren Fleshman, and Molly Pritz, and Kim
Smith of New Zealand.
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 53-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
$30.8 million for charity in 2010. 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 some 140,000 applicants.
The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the
$650,000 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 875,000 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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