RUSSIA, GREAT BRITAIN, UKRAINE AND ROMANIA TO BE REPRESENTED AT 31ST ANNUAL FREIHOFER'S RUN FOR WOMEN:
Event Organizers Announce Six New Additions to the May 30 5 km Road Race in Albany, NY
ALBANY, NY (May 5, 2009) With the Freihofer's Run for Women now just
three weeks away, event organizers today announced the addition of six
top European runners to the 31st edition of race set for Saturday, May
30 in Albany, N.Y.
Three Russians will be on hand looking to dethrone three-time champion
Benita Johnson of Australia. Maria Konavalova had an excellent showing
in the 10,000m at the Beijing Olympics last summer, placing 5th. She
also boasts a PR of 14:38 in the 5K, which could pose a serious
challenge to the existing Freihofer's 5 km course record of 15:17, set
in 2005 by Asmae Leghzaoui of Morocco.
Natalia Sokolova, another strong contender, placed 1st in the 2008California International Marathon, 1st in the 2008 St Petersburg
Marathon and 1st in the 2008 Vytra Long Island Women's 5k, proving
she's competitive in all races, no matter the distance. For her part,
Marina Ivanova posted top-10 results in the Russian Championships last
year in both the 10,000m and the 5,000m, as well as a 4th place finish
in the 2008 Beach to Beacon 10k.
Since taking part in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the Steeplechase,
Great Britain's Barbara Parker has set her sights on another one of her
specialties: middle-distance sprinting. A bronze medalist in the 2007
NCAA Outdoor Championship Steeplechase, Parker placed 1st at the 2008
Seminole Twilight Meet 1500m and 3rd in the 2009 Reebok Indoors 3000m.
Event organizers also confirmed the entry of Romanian Adriana Pirtea,
who has dominated the Romanian racing scene since 2006. She's been the
5,000m national champion for the past three years and the reigning
10,000m national champion for the past two years.
"It's always great to have a few athletes in the field that the other
women haven't competed against regularly on the road race circuit,"
said Freihofer's Run for Women Elite Athlete Recruiter John Tope. "This
race will have that mix, which should make for an exciting event on May
30th."
Anzhelika Averkova from the Ukraine rounds out the entries from Eastern
Europe. Averkova, who will compete in the event's masters (over 40)
division, placed 15th at the 2009 Boston Marathon and 2nd at last
year's La Rochelle Marathon in France. She is, however, a 10K
specialist and is just as comfortable competing at shorter distances,
as she is the longer ones.
Those wishing to follow the race as it happens can do so live on
Twitter, the free social networking and micro-blogging service. Fox23
Sports Anchor Rich Becker will tweet regular updates from the
Freihofer's Run for Women press truck. To capture the drama of the race
as it unfolds, go to freihofersrun.com and click on the Twitter icon at the bottom of the page.
From that location you can also join the event's Facebook page, where
you'll receive regular race updates and videos in the coming weeks, as
well as have the ability to post your own photos, video footage and
event memories and comments.
For those unable to log onto Twitter that morning, or listen to Fox 23
color commentator James O'Brien's live press truck updates, Fox23 News
will broadcast a 30-minute Freihofer's Run for Women TV special
Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 p.m. Complete race day results, including
in-depth race coverage and analysis, will also be available in the
Sunday, May 31st edition of the Albany Times Union newspaper.
To register for the Freihofer's Run for Women, or for more information
about the Freihofer's Run for Women, the Freihofer's Community Walk,
Freihofer's Kids' Run and CapitalCare Health & FitnessExpo, visit freihofersrun.com.
Event sponsors include the Charles Freihofer Baking Company, Price
Chopper Supermarkets, The City of Albany, Fox 23 News, B95.5, the Times
Union, 74 State, CSC, Subway and Dale Miller.
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Freihofer's, a leading baker of wholesome products, is committed to
fostering the growth and recognition of women in sports and inspiring
all generations of women to experience the benefits of exercise and
good nutrition. Freihofer's continues to set the pace by sponsoring the
annual Freihofer's Run for Women 5K. Now in its 31st year, the event,
which is home to the Master's World & U.S. All-Comers record,
features thousands of women of all ages and abilities from Olympians to
recreational joggers, who challenge themselves on the picturesque
3.1-mile course. For more information, visit http://www.freihofers.com/
