FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Guaranteed-Entry Guidelines Announced for ING New York City Marathon
Rule Changes to Go Into Effect Beginning With 2012 Event
New York, October 12, 2011-New rules for guaranteed entry into the ING New
York City Marathon, beginning with the 2012 event, were announced today by
New York Road Runners officials.
Due to the increasing worldwide popularity of marathon running, in recent
years the ING New York City Marathon has experienced a significant increase
in applicants for guaranteed entry, reducing the number of non-guaranteed
entries. Analysis shows that if this trend continues, within five years New
York Road Runners will no longer be able to offer non-guaranteed entry.
"NYRR believes that non-guaranteed entry is an essential element of the
democracy of our marathon, and it enhances the diversity of the marathon
field," said NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
In order to preserve non-guaranteed entry to the race, NYRR is changing
some standards and policies. The following guaranteed-entry methods will
change:
• Qualifying by cancelling entry: In the past, applicants to the marathon
who canceled their entry according to cancellation guidelines were eligible
for guaranteed entry to the following year's race, and could continue to
cancel and receive guaranteed entry in subsequent years. The new policy
preserves the guaranteed entry following cancellation but prohibits
guaranteed entry by this method following a second consecutive
cancellation.
• Qualifying by being denied entry three consecutive times: In the past,
applicants to the marathon have been eligible for guaranteed entry if they
have been denied entry three years in a row. This policy will be
eliminated; however, applicants denied entry for the three years 2009–2011
will be eligible for guaranteed entry in 2012.
• Qualifying by finishing 15 previous New York City Marathons: The ING New
York City Marathon offers eligibility for guaranteed entry to runners who
have finished 15 or more New York City Marathons, including the previous
year. NYRR will discontinue this policy, though all runners who have
already accumulated 15 or more finishes as of 2015 will be grandfathered
in.
• Qualifying with a fast marathon or half-marathon time: The ING New York
City Marathon has always had time qualifying standards. The time qualifying
standards will be tightened to 75-percent age-graded times in five-year
increments, detailed below:
Because the 2012 race-qualifying period is already open, this new policy
will take effect beginning with the 2013 race.
For additional information regarding the changes to guaranteed entry,
please visit the ING New York City Marathon website at ingnycmarathon.org.
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 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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