Saturday: The London Champ Will Face The Boston Champ As Mary Keitany And Edna Kiplagat Line Up For The NYRR Mini 10K

11 Olympians to lead professional athlete field in 46^th running of the event in Central Park

NYRR Press Release
May 31, 2017

New York— The NYRR New York Mini 10K, established in 1972 as the world’s first road race exclusively for women, will feature a hotly contested matchup of this year’s London Marathon champion, Mary Keitany, and Boston Marathon champion, Edna Kiplagat, in iconic Central Park on Saturday, June 10.

Professional athletes from 10 different countries – including 11 Olympians – will race in the event, which will be aired live on USATF.TV and will feature three past race champions in Mamitu Daska (2013), Keitany (2015) and Kiplagat (2012).

Keitany, 35, of Kenya, is the three-time defending TCS New York City Marathon champion, having last November become the first athlete to score three straight victories since Grete Waitz won five in a row from 1982 to 1986. This past April, she broke the marathon world record for a women’s only race by 41 seconds when she won the Virgin Money London Marathon for the third time. At her NYRR New York Mini 10K debut in 2015, she won in 31:15.

Kiplagat, 37, of Kenya, won her Boston Marathon debut this April, adding to an already impressive resume when it comes to Abbott World Marathon Majors events. She won her New York City Marathon debut in 2010 and is a two-time IAAF World Championships gold medalist in the marathon. This will be her fourth time racing the NYRR New York Mini 10K, with her lone victory coming in 2012.

Additional Notable Professional Athlete Backgrounds and Performances

• Joyce Chepkirui, 28, of Kenya, finished as the runner-up at both the 2015 and 2016 editions of the United Airlines NYC Half and placed fourth at the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon in her debut in the event. She is also a two-time winner of the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park.
• Mamitu Daska, 33, of Ethiopia, won the 2013 NYRR New York Mini 10K and most recently the 2017 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K – also in Central Park. She finished as runner-up at the 2009 NYC Half, 2014 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K and 2014 NYRR New York Mini 10K; her road best time for 10K came in her 2014 B.A.A. 10K win.
• Jo Pavey, 43, of Great Britain, is a five-time Olympian, having competed at every Games since 2000. She won gold over 10,000 meters at the 2014 European Championships and captured the bronze medal at that distance at the 2007 World Championships. She finished seventh in her NYRR New York Mini 10K debut in 2011.
• Betsy Saina, 28, of Kenya, clocked a personal-best over 10,000 meters in her Olympic debut last summer and had the fastest road 10K time in the world in 2014. In her NYRR New York Mini 10K debut, she finished as the runner-up behind Keitany in 2015.

• Aliphine Tuliamuk, 28, of Santa Fe, NM, is originally from Kenya and gained her U.S. citizenship last year. She’s fresh off a second consecutive first-place finish at the USATF 25K Championships and was runner-up at the 2016 NYRR New York Mini 10K.

Founded in 1972 as the six-mile Crazylegs Mini Marathon, the NYRR New York Mini 10K got its name when race founder Fred Lebow convinced the sponsor to support a six-mile “mini” marathon—named for the miniskirt, a big fashion trend of the times. Seventy-two women finished that first race, which helped show that women deserved to run in road races as much as their male counterparts. Three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for female athletes. The International Olympic Committee added the women’s marathon to the Olympic program for the first time at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, a decision sparked by the growth of women’s road racing, which was led by the success of the Mini.

From those who led the way 46 years ago, such as race legends Kathrine Switzer and Nina Kuscsik and the event’s inaugural champion Jacqueline (Marsh) Dixon, to the 191,258 women who have finished the race since 1972, the NYRR New York Mini 10K has served as one of the most impactful women’s races in running history.

The second annual Girls’ Run at the NYRR New York Mini 10K, a 1.4-mile race for girls ages 7-18, will kick off race day at 7:25 a.m. and will be paced this year by NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador and five-time New York City Marathon champion Tatyana McFadden. Nearly 500 girls will follow McFadden’s lead in the Girls’ Run, which will start at the same Columbus Circle location as the professional athletes and will head up Central Park West before finishing at the same finish line as the TCS New York City Marathon in Central Park.

The adult 10K race will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Central Park West at 61st Street and will finish at 67th Street on West Drive. Runners will vie for a first-place prize of $10,000 as part of the $35,150 prize purse.

Professional Athlete Field – NYRR New York Mini 10K

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Athlete Quotes

“I’m excited to come and try to win the NYRR New York Mini 10K for the second time. Also, to compete with the champion of the Boston Marathon, Edna Kiplagat, because she’s my neighbor and a friend, too, it is really amazing. Again, it’s really nice to race against each other. I have been to New York for a number of years, winning the TCS New York City Marathon three times. I love to race in New York.”
-Mary Keitany, 2017 London Marathon champion and three-time TCS New York City Marathon defending champion

“Once again, I will be back on the streets of New York City. I am looking forward to running a fast race before this summer’s World Championships in London. The NYRR New York Mini 10K is another great opportunity to race with great women, including our new world-record holder in the marathon, Mary Keitany.”
-Edna Kiplagat, 2017 Boston Marathon champion

“Pacing the Girls’ Run at the NYRR New York Mini 10K is an opportunity I cherish, and one that’s very close to me. As a Team for Kids Ambassador, I want to help pave the way for the next generation of female runners, and I’m excited to come to New York to race through Central Park with girls from NYRR’s free youth running programs.”
-Tatyana McFadden, five-time New York City Marathon champion and NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador

“At that first Mini Marathon, girls and women from around the country proved that we were good enough, that we were strong enough, and that there were enough of us that we could not be kept in the box of stereotyping any longer. Today, girls and women no longer have to prove that we are good enough; we no longer have to prove that we are strong enough. At this year’s NYRR New York Mini 10K, women will compete knowing that they are more than enough, and that they are unstoppable.”
-Jacki (Marsh) Dixon, winner of first Mini 10K, previously known as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon

“What better way to celebrate the legacy of the world’s first all-women’s road race than to have Mary and Edna leading a world-class pro field featuring 11 Olympians at this year’s NYRR New York Mini 10K. It will be a guaranteed treat for the thousands of women running along with these esteemed athletes, as well as those watching the race along the course and at home on USATF.TV. We’re equally as excited to welcome our first champion from 1972, Jacki (Marsh) Dixon, to help us start the race, and five-time New York City Marathon champion and NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador, Tatyana McFadden, to pace our next generation of women’s runners in our Girls’ Run.”
-Peter Ciaccia, president of events for NYRR and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon

“For 46 years, the NYRR New York Mini 10K has been one of New York Road Runners’ most treasured events, creating lifetime memories, empowering women of all ages and abilities, and laying the ground work for the significant growth of women’s running over the years. Now, as we approach our 200,000th finisher, we look forward to celebrating a large group of ‘CrazyLegs’ runners who have participated in the event more than 15 times, including Julianne Grace, who will race the course for a record 42^nd time. We are also so excited to have the next generation of Mini 10K runners ages 7-18 taking part in the Girls’ Run.”
-Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of NYRR

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit nyrr.org.