Where Your Dreams Become Reality
|
Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
|
FREIHOFER'S RUN FOR WOMEN ADDS COURSE RECORD HOLDER LEGHZAOUI TO FIELD: Ethiopia's Red Hot Erkesso and British Marathoner Yamauchi Also Plan on Vying for $10,000 First Place Prize Press Release ALBANY, NY (May 1, 2007) With the 2007 Freihofer's Run for Women 5K set for Saturday, June 2, race organizers are assembling an elite field to compare with the finest to have ever contested this celebrated race. The race, in its 29th year, is sponsored by Charles Freihofer Baking Company. Through this sponsorhip, Freihofer's encourages women to actively participate in sports and their overall well-being. Among the most recent additions to the roster is Asmae Leghzaoui, the now 30- year-old Moroccan, who dominated this event in 2005, racing to a massive 23-second victory and setting new course record figures of 15:17.6. That time improved the old mark, belonging to Lynn Jennings, by more than six seconds. "I'm excited to have Asmae returning to Freihofer's," said Event Director George Regan. "She is a fantastic competitor and I know her battle with our defending champion Benita Johnson will be one for the history books." There are others in the field, however, who will not easily concede a step to either the defending champion or the course record holder. Among them are Mara Yamauchi from Great Britain and Teyba Erkesso from Ethiopia. Yamauchi, who hails from England but is married to a Japanese citizen, won the bronze medal in the 10,000m at last year's Commonwealth Games and, with a marathon PB of 2:25:13, is the second fastest Briton of all time at that distance behind world record holder, Paula Radcliffe. In April's London Marathon, Yamauchi placed 6th in 2:25:41, just shy of her best time, giving evidence of her fine current form. Erkesso has equally impressive credentials. She placed third in the short course event (4K) at the 2004 World Cross Country Championships and was a member of the Ethiopian teams that won gold medals in both the short and long course races at the World Cross Country Championships in 2004 and 2006. This year, she has made no secret of her superb form, winning the Crescent City Classic 10K, the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and the Vancouver Sun Run 10K, all keenly contested events. Most significant of all, Erkesso's time in winning the Cherry Blossom race, 51:44, is the fastest time ever recorded in an all-women's event. "With so many amazing competitors on-board, I am confident that this year's Freihofer's Run for Women will be a true classic," asserted Regan. Entrants in the 2007 Freihofer's Run for Women will once again compete in three divisions: elite, open and masters. Entries for this year's race are now being accepted at www.freihofersrun.com. The last day to register is Friday, June 1. All entrants will receive a free t-shirt and box of Freihofer's chocolate chip cookies. Participants in the Freihofer's Run for Women, Freihofer's Kids' Run and Freihofer's Community Walk can pick up a registration form at any Capital Region Price Chopper store, or by visiting www.freihofersrun.com. Additional information on all three events is also available by calling (518) 273-5552, or via e-mail at info@freihofersrun.com. Event sponsors include the Charles Freihofer Baking Company (a division of George Weston Bakeries Inc.), Price Chopper Supermarkets, The City of Albany, B95.5 fm, and NewsChannel 13.
|
|
