Pregnant with First Child, Deena Kastor Will Miss ING New York City Marathon This Fall

United States Olympian and national marathon record-holder Deena Kastor is pregnant and will not run the ING New York City Marathon 2010 on Sunday, November 7. The announcement was made jointly by Kastor’s management company and New York Road Runners.

“I was looking forward to returning to New York this fall to attempt to fulfill my longtime dream of winning there,” said Kastor, who was entered to return to run New York for the first time since finishing sixth in 2006. “Since my marathon debut in 2001, winning the ING New York City Marathon has been on my list of running goals.”

The pregnancy is the first for Kastor, 37, and her husband, Andrew. The baby is due in March 2011.

“Andrew’s and my life has changed greatly over the past couple weeks as we found out I am three months pregnant. We always postponed starting a family, but to hear this news was really exciting and we never imagined it would be so rewarding even long before the baby is born,” said Kastor. “I am especially grateful to have felt fantastic except for feeling a bit sluggish in workouts and tired during the day. As soon as we heard the news, I stopped hard workouts. I am running easy days with my Mammoth Track Club teammates, but have chosen to forgo any hard efforts in order that every bit of my energy goes into making sure the baby will be healthy and strong. I don’t look pregnant yet, but I hear it seems to happen overnight.

“Despite my withdrawal from this year’s ING New York City Marathon, I intend to be there marathon week to take part in all the activities surrounding this fantastic race,” said Kastor. "Since my marathon debut in 2001, I have returned to New York each year whether to race, help host charity events, or help with the television coverage. This year is no exception. For a fan of the sport, New York is the place to be come November."

Kastor won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic marathon, and she set the American record with her 2:19:36 victory at the 2006 London Marathon. She has won two World Marathon Majors titles: Chicago in 2005 and London in 2006. Earlier this year she finished second at the NYC Half-Marathon and won the P.F. Chang’s Rock-N-Roll Arizona Half-Marathon in Phoenix.

“Deena is like family to us at NYRR,” said New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. “We are ecstatic for her and Andrew. There will always be another ING New York City Marathon. There’s no better reason to miss our race than pregnancy!”

The ING New York City Marathon will feature the marathon debuts of United States Olympian Shalane Flanagan and reigning World Half-Marathon champion Mary Keitany of Kenya; the women’s field also includes Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain, who finished sixth at the Beijing Olympic Marathon in 2008.