Where Your Dreams Become Reality
|
Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
|
American Men's Field for 2005 ING New York City Marathon Announced The New York Road Runners, the founders and organizers of the ING New York City Marathon, announced the leading U.S. men which they have contracted to run their race on Sunday, November 6. Abdi Abdirahman, 28, of Tucson, Ariz.; Ryan Shay, 26, of East Jordan, Mich.; Matt Downin, 28, of Norwood, N.J.; and Peter Gilmore, 28 of San Mateo, Calif., have all been signed, according to New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director, Mary Wittenberg. Abdirahman ran the ING NYC Marathon last year in his debut at the distance. He was running well and amongst the leaders, when an Achilles injury flared up and forced him to slow greatly. Limping, he struggled home in 2:17:09 in 14th place. Back to form this year, however, the reigning U.S. 10,000m champion recently set a pending U.S. record for 20 km in New Haven: 58:42. "Abdi has all the talent in the world and has just scratched the surface of what he can do over the marathon distance," commented Wittenberg. "Watch for him as the dark horse in this year's field." Shay ran well at New York last year, finishing ninth in a personal best 2:14:08. He's run well all season, winning the U.S. 15-K title last March, placing fourth at the U.S. 8-K Championships last April, and finishing 11th at the BAA Boston Marathon. Downin, the top Tri-State resident entered in the race, made his marathon debut in New York in 2003 (17th and the top U.S. finisher), and ran the race again last year, finishing 16th in 2:18:50. Enjoying one of his best-ever seasons in 2005, Downin finished third in the USA Track & Field Championships at 10,000 meters and fourth in the USA 20K Championships. Both Shay and Downin will run this Saturday in Edmonton at the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships. Gilmore was the surprise 10th place finisher at the BAA Boston Marathon last April in 2:17:32. He has a career best time of 2:14:02 set at the California International Marathon in Sacramento, Calif., last December. He ran the IAAF World Championships Marathon last August in Helsinki. These four men join last year's second place finisher, Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., to form one of the strongest U.S. fields in the history of the race. The last American man to win was Alberto Salazar in 1982.
|
Cross Country Spikes 10% off Injured?
|
