FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Top U.S. Women Set to Battle at the 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Olympians Magdalena Lewy-Boulet and Colleen De Reuck Headline American Field
CHICAGO, IL (June 23, 2010) - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon today
announced a preliminary roster of elite athletes that includes several of
the United States' top female marathon performers. Headlining the U.S.
contingent are Olympians Magdalena Lewy-Boulet (Oakland, CA) and Colleen De
Reuck (Boulder, CO). Challenging them for top American honors will be IAAF
World Championship team members Desiree Davila (Rochester Hills, MI) and
Tera Moody (Colorado Springs, CO), along with Melissa White (Rochester
Hills, MI).
"We're honored to welcome this group of American women to Chicago," said
Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "The Bank of America Chicago
Marathon continues to support American distance running, and we have
witnessed several historic American performances over the years. We look
forward to adding to that legacy again this year. Magdalena and Desiree
have had recent breakthrough performances on the world stage, and Colleen's
career is unrivaled in success and experience. The mixture of youth and
experience is going to set the stage for some great performances from our
American women contingent this fall."
Lewy-Boulet is currently the top-ranked female marathon runner in the
country for 2010 based on her 2:26:22 performance at the Fortis Rotterdam
Marathon in April. Lewy-Boulet is a native of Poland who became a U.S.
citizen in 2001. After narrowly missing the 2004 Olympic marathon team, she
placed second at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon and competed in the
Beijing Olympic Games. The 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be
Lewy-Boulet's first marathon since her breakthrough performance in Rotterdam.
"It's a dream come true to compete in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
and to visit Chicago for the first time," said Lewy-Boulet. "There will be
no better way to experience the city than from the streets of this historic
marathon course. I'm excited to compete against a strong field, and my goal
is to run even faster than I did in Rotterdam on American soil."
De Reuck is a four-time Olympian best known for her career longevity, which
dates back to a top 10 finish in the1992 Olympic Marathon in Barcelona. The
46-year-old has a marathon best of 2:26:35 from the 1996 Berlin Marathon,
and has competed in the Chicago Marathon on six occasions, finishing as
high as second in 1998 and most recently placing sixth in 2008. Her time of
2:28:40 at the 2005 Chicago Marathon is the American Masters record. De
Reuck, a native of South Africa who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, won the
Copenhagen Marathon this past May with a time of 2:30:51. She is currently
the second-ranked female marathon runner in the country in 2010 behind
Lewy-Boulet.
"I chose to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon to get on a fast and
familiar course," said De Reuck. "I'm looking forward to a good race and a
fast field, and am hoping to run a little quicker than I did in Copenhagen."
Davila's last marathon outing was a stellar 11th place finish at the 2009
IAAF World Championships in Berlin in a personal best 2:27:53. She will be
looking to improve upon her fifth place showing at the 2008 Chicago Marathon.
Her appearance this year will be aided by improved track speed,
which garnered her a 10th place finish in the 3,000-meter run at the 2010
IAAF World Indoor Track & Field Championships in March.
Also adding to the mix of American women are Moody and White, two runners
with a history of top performances in Chicago. Moody is a Chicago native
who has four Chicago Marathon finishes to her credit, including a ninth
place showing in 2009 in a personal best 2:32:59. In that same event, Moody
was edged at the line by White, who placed eighth in a personal best 2:32:55.
Members of the American field will be vying to stand atop the podium at the
Bank of America Chicago Marathon for the first time since Deena Kastor's
triumph over Olympic marathon gold medalist Constantina Dita in 2005.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a history of producing elite
American performances, including Joan Benoit Samuelson's then-American
record and third all-time ranked U.S. performance of 2:21:21 in 1985, and
Kastor's fourth all-time ranked U.S. performance of 2:21:25 in 2005.
Inspired by those efforts, several athletes will arrive in Chicago this
fall in pursuit of personal bests as well as the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials
qualifying standards. In recognition of those pursuits, the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon is offering the following American Development time
bonuses: $2,500 for sub 2:39:00 performances (women's U.S. Olympic Trials
"A" standard) and $1,000 for sub 2:46:00 performances (women's U.S. Olympic
Trials "B" standard). Similarly for American men, the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon is offering $2,500 for sub 2:19:00 performances (men's
U.S. Olympic Trials standard) and $1,000 for sub 2:21:00 performances.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 33rd year and a member of the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of
America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000 runners, including a world
class elite field, and 1.5 million spectators. As a result of its
national and international draw, the iconic race assists in raising $10
million for a variety of charitable causes while generating an estimated
$143 million economic impact to its host city. The 2010 Bank of America
Chicago Marathon will start and finish in Chicago's Grant Park beginning at
7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 10. In advance of the race, a two-day Health &
Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday,
October 8 and Saturday, October 9. More information on the race and how to
get involved is available at the event Web site, chicagomarathon.com.
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