Posted: April 13, 2005

Athletics: Loken Masters More Marathon with Central Park Record

NEW YORK - (April 10, 2005) - Susan Loken ran away from the field and to a Central Park course record time to win the 2nd annual More Marathon for women only over the age of 40 (masters) on a beautiful spring Sunday.

Loken, 41, of Phoenix, Ariz. took the lead at about the 7-mile mark on the second lap of the five lap course to steadily pull away from runner-up Janet Robertz to win in two hours and 45 minutes and 35 seconds, beating the Central Park course mark of 2:46:14 set by Kim Merritt in 1975, the last year that the ING New York City Marathon was held entirely in Central Park before moving to its present 5-borough course in 1976.

"Kicking at the end is not my strength so I knew I had to have a lead," said Loken, the mother of three and a 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, who won $2,000. "This was a great course and I don't know how you couldn't run well over this course. Life begins at 40."

Robertz, 45, of Shorewood, Minn., second in 2:48:59, never was able to find the strength to mount a serious challenge.

"She just had fresher legs and I didn't," said Robertz, the 2003-04 USA Masters Marathon champion. "I ran a marathon about nine weeks ago and I was a bit fatigued and I could tell by about mile 16 that I wasn't catching up."

Corinna Cortes, 44, of New York took third in 3:07:44.

A field of nearly 3,500 runners turned out for the world's only race open only to women over 40 that featured a full marathon and a 13.1-mile half-marathon according to New York Road Runners officials.

For more results, race photos and information, go to: www.NYRR.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.