FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deena Kastor, Dathan Ritzenhein to Run Inaugural
NYRR Dash to the Finish Line, Saturday, November 5
Part of ING New York City Marathon weekend festivities, the 5K race will
start near United Nations and end at iconic marathon finish line in Central
Park
Field also includes Sally Kipyego, Matt Tegenkamp, and Ben True
New York, October 12, 2011-The inaugural NYRR Dash to the Finish Line will
draw some big names, including Olympians Deena Kastor and Dathan Ritzenhein
on Saturday, November 5, during ING New York City Marathon weekend, it was
announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
To be held the day before the ING New York City Marathon, the race will
offer a flat and fast 3.1-mile course through the heart of Manhattan,
starting near the United Nations, crossing Midtown on famed 42nd Street,
and heading uptown to Central Park for the last dash across the
world-renowned ING New York City Marathon finish line. All runners are
invited, and the race is a key element in New York Road Runners' strategy
of opening up the weekend festivities to more people.
Kastor will be joined by previously announced American 5000-meter
record-holder Molly Huddle, as well as Magdalena Lewy Boulet, who was the
runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials, and 2011 World
Championships 10,000-meter silver medalist Sally Kipyego of Kenya.
Ritzenhein will also be in good company: 2008 Olympians Matt Tegenkamp and
Lopez Lomong and two-time USA champion Ben True are all entered.
"The Dash to the Finish Line is just one more way for everyone to get
involved in marathon weekend," said Wittenberg. "From Opening Ceremonies,
to the Dash to the Finish Line, and the Mobile Spectator App, there are so
many ways to get involved even if you aren't running. And to top it off,
there is the bonus of running across our famed marathon finish line with so
many of our talented athletes in this fast, fun 5K.
Kastor, 38, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, is the American marathon record-holder
(2:19:36, London, 2006). She earned the bronze medal in the marathon at the
2004 Athens Olympics. After the birth of her first child in February,
Kastor began a comeback to racing at the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June.
She recently won the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half-Marathon in 1:12:23.
"I'm excited to be a part of the inaugural NYRR Dash to the Finish Line,"
said Kastor. "This race is one more reason to get excited about ING New
York City Marathon weekend. As I continue my focus and training for the
Olympic Trials marathon in January, this race will certainly be a ‘dash'
for me, but it's another way to enjoy marathon week in New York City."
Ritzenhein, 28, of Portland, OR, hasn't raced since last year's ING New
York City Marathon, when he finished eighth in 2:12:33. The two-time
Olympian is back training after a series of injuries earlier in the year.
The NYRR Dash to the Finish Line will be Ritzenhein's first competitive
race in his buildup to the Olympic Trials marathon in January.
"I'm very excited to be returning to action at the NYRR Dash to the Finish
Line," said Ritzenhein. "This is a great first step for me to making the
2012 Olympic team and putting the past year behind me. After a full year
off from racing, I can't think of a better place to make my return. I've
had great comebacks in New York in the past and can't wait to do it again.
Putting on my racing shoes once again on the streets of New York is the
best way for me to set my sights on making a third Olympic team."
Lewy Boulet, 38, of Oakland, CA, won the Falmouth Road Race in August, and
she set personal bests at 5000 and 10,000 meters this summer. A native of
Poland, Lewy Boulet was part of the USA team that took the bronze medal at
the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Kipyego, 25, of Kenya, attended Texas Tech University, where she was an
NCAA standout, equaling the record for most individual NCAA championships
in history. She was the 2011World Championships silver medalist at 10,000
meters in Daegu, South Korea. Most recently, she finished second at the
NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile in a time of 4:22.6, three-tenths of a second behind
winner Jenny Simpson of the USA.
Tegenkamp, 29, of Portland, OR, competed in his first Olympics in 2008 and
hopes to represent the USA again in 2012. He recently competed in the
10,000 meters at the 2011World Championships, and he is one of only five
U.S. men to have run under 13 minutes for 5000 meters.
Lomong, 26, of Beaverton, OR, is a two-time USA champion at 1500 meters,
and he represented the U.S. in that event at the 2008 Olympic Games. Lomong
resettled in the United States after escaping captivity in Sudan, and he
became a citizen in 2007, one year before being selected as the flag bearer
for Team USA during the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
True, 25, of Hanover, NH, has been on a tear in 2011, finishing as the top
American at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships before winning the
BAA 5K (during Boston Marathon weekend), the USA 10K Championship, and the
USA 5K Championship. He also finished second at the USA 15K and 10-Mile
Championships. True is part of the In the Arena training group in New
Hampshire.
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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