FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Keflezighi, Kastor Announce Return to
2010 ING New York City Marathon on Live Lottery Stream Show
Flurry of Activities Surround "I'm In. We're In." Marketing Platform to
Help Launch Seven-Month Countdown to Race
A record 120,000 apply for November 7 race; Victoria Salbu of Oslo is first
lottery runner announced
New York, April 7, 2010—Americans Meb Keflezighi, the ING New York City
Marathon 2009 champion, and Deena Kastor, the nation's finest female long
distance runner of the past decade, were announced for this year's ING New
York City Marathon, along with the first runners selected from the lottery,
by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg on Wednesday,
April 7, in the first-ever live streaming of the lottery selection.
The lottery show, seen at www.nyrr.org, was hosted by veteran sports
announcer Bruce Beck and Wittenberg from the Parker Meridien Hotel
overlooking Central Park. The announcement is accompanied by a flurry of
activities in the opening strides in the seven-month countdown to the race
on Sunday, November 7. A series of launch parties hosted by NYRR and open
to runners, friends, family, and fans as part of the debut of the "I'm In.
We're In." marketing platform will be held this evening. Three new
multi-year marathon sponsors—Unilever, Nissan, and Tata Consultancy
Services—were announced earlier in the week.
"With Meb's win last year and Deena's gutsy efforts over the years, they
have become part of the magic and history of our marathon," said
Wittenberg. "We are so pleased to welcome them back today, as we warmly
welcome runners from around the globe to our ING NYC Marathon 2010."
Keflezighi, 34, returns after last year's historic triumph, when he became
the first American winner of the race in the 27 years since Alberto
Salazar's third win in 1982. Keflezighi's victory, in a personal-best time
of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 15 seconds, was the pinnacle of an already
illustrious marathon career that began with his debut in New York in 2002
and was highlighted by his silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic
Marathon. Keflezighi will be one of the top contenders in this month's
Boston Marathon.
"The ING New York City Marathon has been the core race in my marathon
career," said Keflezighi, who will be making his fifth start in New York.
"I came back several times looking for that elusive victory and I finally
got it. I hope that my victory on November 1, 2009 teaches us that while we
may not accomplish our dreams and goals overnight, we need to stay
committed."
Kastor, 37, made her marathon debut in New York in 2001 and will be making
her fourth start in the five-borough challenge; her best finish has been
her sixth place in 2006. The 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist, Kastor
has won World Marathon Majors titles in Chicago and London. She is one of
the leading contenders in this month's Virgin London Marathon.
"I was brought to tears when Meb won [last year] against a stellar field of
the world's best, and I'm inspired to commit to succeeding in New York come
November," said Kastor. "The ING New York City Marathon is a perfect
representation of the diversity that the city is known for, and it's
wonderful to be part of such high-spirited celebration of running."
More than 120,000 applications—the most in history—were received by New
York Road Runners officials, who plan for a starting field of between
42,000 and 43,000. This is the fourth consecutive year in which 100,000 or
more applications have been received for the five-borough race.
"A quantum leap in the number of marathon applicants, in the midst of the
recession, speaks volumes about the importance of the ING NEW York City
Marathon in the lives of so many," said Wittenberg.
Reflecting the worldwide interest in the race, the list of the first
entrants announced spans the globe—from Oslo, Norway, to Eugene, Oregon,
and from São Paulo, Brazil, to Portland, Maine. The first lottery winners
named were Victoria Salbu of Oslo, Norway; Rebecca Slater of Oxford, United
Kingdom; Gustavo Bueno of São Paulo, Brazil; Seiichi Tanabe of Tokyo,
Japan; Trae Richardson of Eugene, OR; Jordon Medeiros of Detroit, MI; Dr.
William Burnett of Dallas, TX; Meredith Pendleton of Portland, ME; and Lynn
Berman of New York City, NY.
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