Mary Cain to Run Sunday’s Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country Meet

World Junior Gold Medalist is one of many world-class athletes set to compete at the B.A.A. meet in Franklin Park on Sunday

Press Release from BAA

(Editor’s note: Discuss this development on our messageboard: MB: Breaking: Mary Cain to race 2015 Mayor’s Cup XC Race on Sunday in Franklin Park)

BOSTON, Mass. – Today, the Boston Athletic Association announced that American Olympic hopeful Mary Cain will race the 2015 Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country meet on Sunday, October 25, at Franklin Park in Boston. Cain, who represented Team USA at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in the 1500 meters, will be making her debut at the event, which is in its 25th year.

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Since her high school days in Bronxville, New York, Cain has been a dominant force on the American distance running scene. While still a high schooler, she competed at a national and international level, setting junior records from the 800 meters through the 3000 meters.

At the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last year, Cain took home the gold medal at 3000m. She also owns the world junior record for 1000m indoors, having timed 2:35.80 in Boston in 2014.

The Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country meet is held at iconic Franklin Park, featuring a route that explore the area’s famed Bear Cage Hill and Wilderness Loop. Franklin Park played host to the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the last time the meet was held on American soil.

Having moved back home to New York this fall, Cain is competing in cross country events in the Northeast. On October 6 she won the Harry Murphy Cross Country meet in New York’s Van Cortlandt Park with a time of 17:11.

Since its inception in 1990, the Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country meet has seen many notable champions, including Lynn Jennings, Kim Smith, and Mark Carroll. Event records stand at 22:53 for men (set by Silah Misoi in 1997), and 16:08 for women (Mary Cullen, 2008).

Mary Cain (r) with Peter Ciaccia (c) in 2015, president of events for NYRR and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. Photo courtesy of the NYRR. Mary Cain (r) with Peter Ciaccia (c), president of events for NYRR and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon, a few weeks ago at an XC meet at VCP. Photo courtesy of the NYRR.

Joining Cain on the starting line for the Mayor’s Cup Women’s Championship 5K race will be Cory McGee, a member of Team USA at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, as well as Liz Costello. Both McGee and Costello train in Boston.

Among the top contenders entered for the Men’s Championship 8K race are former University of Oregon All-American Trevor Dunbar and last year’s NCAA Division II Cross Country national champion Tabor Stevens.

Runners of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate in the 2015 Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country meet. Kicking off the day’s events are Youth races that are 1.1 miles in length. Boys and girls ages 6 to 10 will compete at 10:00 a.m., followed by boys and girls ages 11 to 12 at 10:15 a.m.  At 10:30 a.m., 13 to 14-year-old boys and girls will race on Franklin Park’s course.

The Championship Women’s 5K will begin at 10:50 a.m., with the Championship Men’s 8K at 11:15 a.m.  The Franklin Park 5K (an open event for those not wanting to compete in the Championship races) concludes the day’s events at 12:00 p.m.

For 19 years the Boston Athletic Association and adidas have been partners in developing the Mayor’s Cup Cross Country races into a premier competition for the City of Boston. Regarded as one of the most competitive cross country post-collegiate events in the United States, many top level clubs use the Mayor’s Cup to prepare for the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships. Colleges also have found that the event is good preparation for the championship portion of their season.

The Mayor’s Cup Cross Country races are held within historic Franklin Park, part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s renowned Emerald Necklace park system, located five miles southwest of downtown Boston. Both the start and finish lines, along with race registration and awards presentations, are at The Playstead: a large field located within the park and bordered by White Stadium, Franklin Park Zoo, and William Devine Golf Course. The course is comprised almost exclusively of grass and dirt. In the true spirit of cross country running, the course is challenging with equal parts run on flats and hills.

The event is managed by USA Track & Field New England and hosted by the Boston Centers for Youth & Families and the Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information on the Boston Mayor’s Cup Cross Country meet, please visit www.baa.org.

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Established in 1887, the B.A.A. is a non-profit organization committed to running and has played an integral role in the support and development of the sport throughout the United States since its inception. From fielding athletes who competed at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 through the 119th Boston Marathon in April 2015 and its other year-round events and programs, the pursuit of excellence in middle and long distance running has stood at the fore of the organization.


Discuss this development on our messageboard: MBBreaking: Mary Cain to race 2015 Mayor’s Cup XC Race on Sunday in Franklin Park

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