Marathon News - RAMAALA WILL DEFEND NEW YORK TITLE

Jul-7-2005

RAMAALA WILL DEFEND NEW YORK TITLE
by RRW
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

The New York Road Runners announced today that Hendrick Ramaala, the 2004
ING New York City Marathon champion would return to defend his title at the
November 6 race.

"Hendrick's win last year was a breakthrough performance for him, and he has
continued to shine with a string of standout performances," said ING New
York City Marathon race director and New York Road Runners president and CEO
Mary Wittenberg in a press release. "However, the pressure will be on him
here in New York, as no man has won back-to-back titles since John Kagwe of
Kenya in 1997 and 1998."

Ramaala, a two-time IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships silver medalist,
won a thrilling late race battle with American Meb Keflezighi to cross the
finish line first in Central Park. Ramaala was timed in 2:09:28 to
Keflezighi's 2:09:53. Ironically, Ramaala was the last elite man to be
entered in the race after failing to finish the scorchingly hot Olympic
Marathon in Athens last August.

On Sunday, July 10, Ramaala will compete in the South African Half-Marathon
Championships in Durban, and in August, he will represent South Africa at
the IAAF World Championships Marathon in Helsinki, Finland. His marathon
personal best time is 2:08:32, set at London last April.