FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reigning London and 2012 Chicago Marathon Champion Tsegaye Kebede Added to
2013 ING New York City Marathon Field
Two-time ING New York City Marathon Champion Martin Lel and
2013 IAAF World Championships Marathon Silver Medalist Valeria Straneo
Fill Out Championship Field for November 3 Race
New York October 14, 2013-2013 Virgin Money London Marathon champion and
2012–2013 World Marathon Majors leader Tsegaye Kebede, double ING New York
City Marathon winner and two-time Virgin Money London champion Martin Lel,
and 2013 IAAF World Championships Marathon silver medalist Valeria Straneo
will compete in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon on November 3, it was
announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
The U.S. and international men and women's professional entrants were
previously announced.
Athlete Backgrounds and Notable Performances
- Kebede, 26, of Ethiopia, is the 2008 Olympic Marathon bronze
medalist and reigning Virgin Money London Marathon champion (2:06:04), as
well as the winner of the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a
personal-best time of 2:04:38. He is also the 2011 ING New York City
Marathon bronze medalist. Kebede is currently in first place on the men's
2012-2013 WMM series leaderboard. He also won the 2010 Virgin London
Marathon (2:05:19).
- Lel, 34, of Kenya, is a five-time marathon champion. He won the
ING New York City Marathon in 2003 (2:10:30) and 2007 (2:09:04). He is also
a three-time London Marathon Champion, claiming crowns in 2005 (2:07:26),
2007 (2:07:41), and 2008 (2:05:15), and setting a course record and
personal best in the 2008 race, while also becoming the youngest man with
five major victories.
- Straneo, 37, of Italy recently earned the silver medal in the
marathon at the 2013 IAAF World Championships with a time of 2:25:58. In
2012 at the Rotterdam Marathon, she broke the 12-year-old Italian marathon
record with a personal-best time of 2:23:44. Straneo is also a 2012
Olympian in the marathon and the Italian half-marathon record holder
(1:07:46).
Mary Wittenberg
"We are honored to add Tsegaye, Martin, and Valeria to our star quality
professional athlete field that includes 32 Olympians and seven national
record-holders," said Wittenberg. "Our hearts will move with their feet as
we watch their inspiring stories unfold, and ignite the marathon dreams of
the more than 45,000 runners who will follow their lead."
Nationally, the ING New York City Marathon will be presented live on ESPN2
and ESPN Deportes+ from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. For those who have
video subscriptions with affiliated providers, the race will also be
available via WatchESPN. Locally, New Yorkers can watch the race on ABC7 or
7online.com from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or via WatchABC on mobile devices.
Pre-race features from the start at Fort Wadsworth will broadcast live at
7:00 a.m. on ABC7, 7online.com and WatchABC. Additionally, a national
highlights show will air from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on local ABC affiliates.
International viewers can watch the broadcast via a live digital stream
from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST on 7online.com.
Check out On the Run at ontherun.nyrr.org for behind-the-scenes access to
the ING New York City Marathon. On the Run is a must-see for runners of all
ages and abilities. The program airs at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday
of race week, 5:00 p.m. Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. Monday, and on demand at
ontherun.nyrr.org.
About the ING New York City Marathon
NYRR's premier event, the ING New York City Marathon is the most loved and
most inclusive marathon in the world, attracting elite athletes and
recreational runners alike for the challenge and thrill of a lifetime. The
race has grown tremendously since it began in 1970 with just 127 runners
racing four laps of Central Park. Now, some 48,000 participants from all
over the globe flock to New York City every November for an
adrenaline-filled road tour of all five boroughs, starting on Staten Island
at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park.
Some run for prize money or bragging rights, others for charity or their
personal best. All are cheered on by more than two million live spectators
and a TV audience of 330 million.
NYRR is proud to be a part of the World Marathon Majors-an alliance with
the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW Berlin, and Bank of America
Chicago marathons-to advance the sport, raise awareness and increase
interest and involvement in participatory and professional marathon running
globally. A signature element is the WMM series, which offers a $1 million
prize purse to be split equally between the top male and the top female
marathoner in the world.
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