Posted: April 22, 2005

Athletics: Freihofer's Run for Women Opens Its Doors to the World

Smith, Kenah and Rudolph Among Early Commitments

ALBANY, N.Y. - (April 20, 2005) - It will be a brand new world, literally, when the gun sounds at 10:15am in downtown Albany June 4 for the 27th running of the Freihofer's Run for Women. The Capital Region's premier foot race, which annually attracts more than 3,600 ladies to the starting line on Madison Avenue, will open its doors to the rest of the world this year by inviting elite international athletes.

Long known for hosting the USA Women's 5K Championship, the Freihofer's Run for Women is renowned for attracting U.S. stars such as eight-time winner/course record holder Lynn Jennings, three-peater/defending champion Marla Runyan and home-bred hero/1999 champion Cheri Kenah. The event has had a long-standing relationship with USA Track & Field (USATF), the sport's governing body, which has rewarded Albany with the 5K national championship for 14 of the past 16 years. This year, however, the event will not host the national championship, and thus, it will be open to international stars.

The move is a good one, according to long-time event director, George Regan. "We just felt like it was time to go in a different direction," says Regan. "We've enjoyed hosting the national championship and we've had a great tenure here in Albany, but sometimes you just have to make a change to keep things new and fresh. I think it will be exciting to see a different mix of athletes on the starting line this year."

With a $27,000 prize purse, and $10,000 reserved for the first woman to cross the finish line at the Empire State Plaza, Freihofer's is attracting significant attention from some of the world's best female distance runners.

New Zealand's Kim Smith, with a 14:50 5000m on her resume, has recently committed. At Providence College, Smith was the 2004 NCAA Cross Country champion and 2003 runner-up. She is certainly a rising star on the international scene, finishing 12th in the long course (8.1K) at the 2005 World Cross Country Championships, arguably the most competitive distance event in the world. She recently finished 4th at the Carlsbad 5000 in the same race where Tirunesh Dibaba from Ethiopia blazed to a course record 14:51, equaling Paula Radcliffe's world mark for an all-women's race.

Carlsbad is recognized for fast times and world records, a moniker Regan would love to see stamped on Freihofer's. "When you open up the race, you expect faster times. We should have several ladies in our race that can run under 15 minutes. That's unbelievable. That's what makes this so appealing," he says.

Regan is expecting several more top athletes with foreign passports to show up in New York's Capital city. "We're working on arrangements now," adds Regan. "The travel is a little more complicated, obviously, so we don't want to announce anybody until we are absolutely sure they'll make it."

The race, however, will not be without some of its familiar American stars - past champions, expectant mothers and new mothers. 2002-04 champ Marla Runyan will be in Albany for the race, though not to run. She is expecting her first child, but has agreed to come as Regan's guest and keynote speaker, also visiting several local elementary schools. Cheri Kenah, making a serious comeback after giving birth to twins almost two years ago, will return to compete in her hometown, and the scene of her thrilling 1999 photo finish victory over Libbie Hickman.

1996 and 2000 Olympian Amy Rudolph has also announced she will return to Albany and go up against the world's best. The Providence grad recently out-kicked the incomparable Sonia O'Sullivan, in O'Sullivan's backyard, to win the BUPA Great Ireland 10K Run in a course record 32:16. Rudolph, one of those few women in the world who has run under 15 minutes for 5000 meters, recently finished 3rd at the USA Women's 8K Championship in New York against a stacked field, including Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor.

Regan emphasizes that the 2005 Freihofer's Run for Women will not be void of championships, once again proudly hosting the USA Women's Masters 5K Championship. "We are busy inviting the top 40-and-over runners across the country to compete for the national championship," says Regan. "We expect a fantastic field in all age groups and will announce those competitors soon."

Entry fees for this year's race are $25 (by 4/30), $30 (5/28) and $35 (6/3). All entrants will receive a free event T-shirt. Preceding the main event, CapitalCare Medical Group - an independent, multi-specialty physician practice offering quality primary care in family practice, pediatrics and internal medicine, as well as nutritional services and diabetes education- will sponsor the CapitalCare Health & Fitness Expo at the Empire State Plaza Concourse level. The Expo will run from Friday, June 3 at noon through Saturday, June 4 at 3pm.

In addition to the Freihofer's Run for Women 5K Fitness Run and USA Masters 5K Championship, the day's festivities will also include the 17th annual Freihofer's Community Walk (8:00-9:30am) - a fundraiser that has raised more than $1 million for area non-profit organizations since its inception. There is no entry fee to participate.

Concluding the day's festivities will be the 18th annual Freihofer's Kids' Run - one of the top 10 largest kids' runs in the nation. Held from 11:30am to 2pm on the Outdoor Plaza level, Empire State Plaza, the free event is open to children ages three to 13. Races will take place in small groups to provide for the safety of all kids participating. Participants will receive a free T-shirt, a coupon for The Great Escape, and of course, those delicious Freihofer's chocolate chip cookies.

Additional information on all three events is also available by calling (518) 273-5552, via e-mail at info@freihofersrun.com or by visiting FreihofersRun.com.

Event sponsors include the Charles Freihofer Baking Company (a division of George Weston Bakeries Inc.), Price Chopper Supermarkets, B95.5 FM, NewsChannel 13 and the Albany Quality Inn.

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.