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New York Road Runners
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Keflezighi Hoping Third Time's the Charm in New York
Top U.S. men's distance runner to compete in the ING New York City Marathon
for the third straight year
New York, September 6, 2006—After two consecutive top-three finishes at the
ING New York City Marathon, Olympic marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi
of the United States will give the 26.2-mile course through New York's five
boroughs another go on November 5, 2006. Keflezighi's plan to participate
in the 37th running of the ING New York City Marathon was announced today
by race director Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road
Runners. Keflezighi joins a professional men's field that includes
defending champion and marathon world record-holder Paul Tergat of Kenya
and fellow Americans Alan Culpepper and Dathan Ritzenhein.
"'Third time is the charm' should be Meb's mantra this time out," said
Wittenberg. "I think this is Meb's year to win New York. He is fit, strong,
healthy, and experienced. There's no time like the present for him."
Seventy days after capturing the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medal in
Athens, Keflezighi finished as New York's runner-up with a time of 2:09:53.
Last year, he posted a time of 2:09:56 to place third behind Tergat and
Hendrick Ramaala. His marathon debut was at the 2002 New York City
Marathon, where he placed ninth in a time of 2:12:35.
"I am very excited to come back for the ING New York City Marathon," said
Keflezighi, a resident of San Diego. "It will be my eighth marathon and the
fourth time in New York City. The ING New York City Marathon allows me to
perform on a world stage against the best marathoners in the world. I am
looking forward to competing against the announced field and I know there
will be more great runners added in the near future." Keflezighi, 31, is
currently tied for fifth on the men's 2006-07 World Marathon Majors
leaderboard. He ran the series-opening Boston Marathon in April where he
turned in a third-place performance with a time of 2:09:56.
Other notable achievements for Keflezighi this year include his
second-place showing at the inaugural NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE
(1:01:28), which was his debut performance at the half-marathon distance.
Keflezighi was edged out by Tom Nyariki of Kenya (1:01:22), who recently
announced that he will also run the ING New York City Marathon this year.
Keflezighi also won the 2006 USA 15K Championships (43:43) and was second
in the 10,000 meters at the USA Track & Field Championships (28:18.74).
Keflezighi was seventh at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2003
(2:10:03) and placed second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials
in Birmingham, Alabama, with a time of 2:11:47.
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