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By Bob Ramsak
GÖTEBORG (07-Aug) -- In advance of tonight's women's 10,000m final at the European Championships, Briton Mara Yamauchi and the New York Road Runners announced that the Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist would contest the ING New York City Marathon for the first time on Nov. 5.
"The 2006 ING New York City Marathon will be my first race in New York," said the 32 year-old Yamauchi in a prepared statement. "I am delighted to be racing in what I hear is a great city, and am really excited about competing in the marathon for the first time. I know the course is tough, and there will be world-class competition. But I am really looking forward to the challenge and hope it will spur me on to a strong performance."
Yamauchi, the former Mara Myers, became the second-fastest British woman of all-time after lowering her marathon personal best to 2:25:13 at the Flora London Marathon last April where she finished sixth. She lives and trains in Tokyo and is coached by her husband, Shigetoshi. Relatively new to the marathon, Yamauchi made her debut at the distance in a time of 2:39:16 in London in 2004. She returned to London the following year and placed 10th with in 2:31:52. That mark qualified her for the IAAF World Championships, where she ran, at that time, another personal best (2:31:26) to finish 18th. Last March at the Commonwealth Games she passed Australian Benita Johnson in the 24th lap to win the 10,000m bronze medal in 31:49.40, a performance which caught the attention of ING New York City Marathon race director and New York Road Runners president and CEO, Mary Wittenberg
"Mara adds more firepower to our red-hot women's field," said Wittenberg. "Right off the bat, in her New York City debut, she is among the group of contenders to win it. Her consistent and steady rise during the past four years has been noteworthy and makes her one to watch."
Yamauchi will face American record holder Deena Kastor (2:19:36 personal best) and defending champion, Jelena Prokopcuka (2:22:56) in the November contest in which the women's winner will receive a cash payment of $130,000 plus the chance to earn generous time bonuses.
In tonight's 10,000m final Yamauchi will face Prokopcuka, Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat, Spaniard Marta Dominguez, and Russian Lidiya Grigoryeva, amongst others. Reigning champion Paula Radcliffe is pregnant and is not competing.
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