Posted: June 10, 2004

Athletics: Records Could Fall At New York Mini

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

Several U.S. 10-K records could fall at Saturday's Circle of Friends New York Mini 10-K in New York City's Central Park, the world's original all-women's road race.

The most likely seems to be Ruth Wysocki's U.S. masters record of 33:22 set in Mobile, Ala., in March, 1997. Colleen De Reuck's 15:48 at last Saturday's Freihofer's Run for Women, a world masters record, is equivalent to a 33:10 10-K, so the 40 year-old De Reuck could certainly get under Wysocki's mark at the Mini. The world record is a much stiffer 32:25 by Priscilla Welch set in 1985 in Arizona.

Deena Kastor could possibly break several other U.S. records. The U.S. open record of 31:06 by Lynn Jennings set in Orlando, Fla., in 1990 is a tough one, but Kastor already owns the U.S. records for 5-K, 15-K and the marathon (plus 10,000m on the track), so it is certainly possible. Kastor is likely to break Mary Decker's U.S. record for an all-women's race (31:38) set in Eugene, Ore., back in 1984, and has an even better chance of running the fastest-ever time by an American at the Mini: 31:52 by Anne Marie Letko in 1994.

The New York Road Runners, the organizers of the race, are offering a $25,000 bonus if Jennings's record is broken, plus there are cash bonuses for fast times: $2,000 for sub-31:00, $1000 for sub-32:00 and $500 for sub-33:00.

The fastest road 10-K run in the world this year is 30:41 by Lornah Kiplagat at the World's Best 10-K in San Juan, Puerto Rico last February.

For more information on the Mini, please visit www.mini10k.org.