Where Your Dreams Become Reality
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Where Your Dreams Become Reality |
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Samuel Wanjiru to Make Marathon Debut at the ING New York City Marathon 2007 Dmytro Baranovsky will also join
star-studded professional field in New York New York, September 26, 2007The eagerly anticipated marathon debut of half-marathon world record holder Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya at the ING New York City Marathon 2007 on November 4, was announced today by New York Road Runners president, CEO, and race director Mary Wittenberg. Sammy rocked the running world by running faster than anyone else at the half-marathon distance, faster than any of the stars of our sport, including the veterans in this years field, Wittenberg said. His true test will be the marathon distance. As the youngest in the field, Sammy comes to New York to prove himself against some of the worlds best at the toughest distance. Wanjiru, 20, has lowered the half-marathon world record three times in the past two years. He first made his mark as an 18-year-old, setting his first world half-marathon record of 59 minutes, 16 seconds at the Fortis Half-Marathon Rotterdam in 2005. His time was one second faster than the world record Paul Tergat set in 1998. Earlier this year in March, Wanjiru returned to Rotterdam and ran the course in 58:33, improving his own half-marathon record by twenty seconds, set in Ras al Khaimah on February 9, 2007. En route to his half-marathon record, Wanjiru also unofficially broke legendary runner Haile Gebrselassies 20K world record with a time of 55:31. Ukranian Dmytro Baranovsky, 28, will make his U.S. debut at the ING New York City Marathon. The 2005 Fukuoka Marathon champion, Baranovsky became the national record holder in the marathon, after finishing second to Gebrselassie at the 2006 Fukuoka Marathon in 2:07:15. Wanjiru and Baranovsky join a talented and experienced professional field that includes defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, ING New York City Marathon 2006 runner-up Stephen Kiogora of Kenya, ING New York City Marathon former champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, and this years Flora London Marathon winner Martin Lel, also of Kenya. The ING New York City Marathon 2007 professional field will compete for more than $700,000 in prize money. The marathon will conclude the inaugural World Marathon Majors series, which will award a $1 million total prize purse to the top male and female marathoners. New York Road Runners New York Road Runners, soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of more than 100, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRRs home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the worlds top professional runners. Our youth programs provide running to 30,000 schoolchildren in New York City and around the country who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org The ING New York City Marathon The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the worlds great road races, drawing more than 98,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and more than 300 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the 710,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit www.ingnycmarathon.org World Marathon Majors The ING New York City Marathon is one of five events in the World Marathon Majors series that showcases the sports top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1 million champions prize. The WMM series also includes the Boston Marathon, the Flora London Marathon, the real,- Berlin-Marathon, and the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. For more information, visit www.worldmarathonmajors.com.
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