Posted: October 2, 2004

Athletics: Irish Olympian Marie Davenport to Run ING New York City Marathon 2004

From David Monti

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

New York, October 1, 2004 – After years of success at shorter distances, 2004 Olympic 10,000-meter runner Marie Davenport of Ireland announced today that she will make her marathon debut at the ING New York City Marathon 2004. The race will be held on Sunday, November 7.

Davenport was joined by Allan Steinfeld, ING New York City Marathon race director and president and CEO of New York Road Runners, at a luncheon at O’Neill’s Irish Bar in Midtown Manhattan.

“We are delighted that Marie has chosen the ING New York City Marathon for her debut, and we expect her to make her mark here in November,” said Steinfeld. “She follows a long line of Irish runners who have made the ING New York City Marathon their race.” Fellow Irish runners John Treacy (third in 1988 and ninth in 1991), Mark Carroll (sixth in 2002), and Sonia O’Sullivan (11th in 2002) and have been among the top Irish performers in New York.

A resident of Chester, Connecticut, Davenport finished 14th in the 10,000 meters (31:50.49) at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In September she won the CVS/pharmacy Downtown 5K in Providence, Rhode Island, in 15:19. Davenport showed her promise at longer distances when she won the 2003 BAA Half-Marathon in 1:10:57. She was an NCAA champion at 5000 meters and a 10-time All-American while at Providence College. (Treacy and Carroll are also Providence alumni.)

Davenport, 29, becomes the latest addition to a stellar women’s field at the ING New York City Marathon 2004 that includes Olympic bronze medallist Deena Kastor and reigning World Cross Country champ Benita Johnson.

About the ING New York City Marathon
The ING New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR). Inaugurated in 1970 with 127 entrants, the ING New York City Marathon has grown into the world’s premier road race, featuring more than 30,000 participants, more than two million spectators, a leading professional field, and a guaranteed prize purse of more than $500,000. Broadcast across the nation and in 125 countries worldwide, the 26.2-mile footrace is the United States’ most watched one-day sporting event. The ING New York City Marathon joins the USA Men’s 8K Championships and the Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K as the cornerstones of the NYRR Professional Racing Series and continues NYRR’s tradition of bringing the very best runners in the world to New York City. For more information visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.

About New York Road Runners
Founded in 1958 with a membership of 47, New York Road Runners (NYRR) is one of the world’s foremost running organizations. NYRR is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of running and walking for health, recreation, and competition, and provides full professional services related to all aspects of racing. The organization has a full-time staff of more than 60 employees, supplemented by a network of thousands of volunteers, serving 40,000 members from every U.S. state and more than 100 countries.