Posted: May 29, 2007

Athletics (RWire): Three-Time NYRR New York Mini 10K Champion Lornah Kiplagat Returns

Catherine Ndereba and Benita Johnson also headline women's professional field NEW YORK - (May 23, 2007) - Defending champion and three-time winner Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands will return to Central Park for the NYRR New York Mini 10K on Saturday, June 9, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. With victories in 2003, '05 and '06, Kiplagat trails only two legendary five-time champions, Grete Waitz and Tegla Loroupe, for most wins in the world's original women-only road race, which debuted here in 1972. A loaded field of professional runners, including former marathon world record-holder and Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, 2004 World Cross Country champion Benita Johnson of Australia, Commonwealth Games medalist Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain and New Zealand half-marathon record holder Nina Rillstone, will challenge Kiplagat for the title and a $10,000 first place prize. "What better way to celebrate the strength and power of women today than by bringing in an absolutely stellar field to set the pace," Wittenberg said. "These women rule the roads of running and are history-makers in our sport. They continue the rich history of the original women-only road race." Kiplagat, 33, a Dutch citizen since 2003, notched her career's biggest victory in March at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in her native Kenya. With more than 70 victories, she is arguably the best road racer in the world. In 2006, Kiplagat lowered her own 20K world record to 1 hour, 3 minutes, 21 seconds in winning the IAAF Road Running Championships. She also has held the world best at 10 miles since 2002 and has run the most sub-31 minute 10Ks than any woman, eight total. Ndereba, 34, nicknamed "Catherine the Great," became the first woman marathoner under 2:19 when she ran 2:18:47 to win the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2001. The 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist, Ndereba has won seven World Marathon Majors races and the 2003 World Championships marathon. In 2006, she finished third at the ING New York City Marathon. Fourth in last year's Mini, Johnson, 28, returns to New York for the first time since her thrilling race to the wire in the 2006 NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE last summer, when Ndereba edged her by three-tenths of a second in 1:09:42.3. Johnson went on to set the Australian record in finishing third at the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Yamauchi, 33, was the 10,000 meter bronze medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and finished sixth at the 2007 Flora London Marathon. Rillstone, 32, took seventh at the ING New York City Marathon 2006. New York Road Runners will offer a prize purse totaling $30,000 and a time bonus of $5000 will be awarded to the first runner under the event record of 30:29, set by Asmae Leghzaoui of Morocco in 2002, also the women-only world record. Founded by NYRR in 1972, the race got its name when race officials convinced the first sponsor to run a more manageable six-mile "mini" marathon-named for the miniskirt, which was then the height of fashion rather than a full marathon. For more information, visit: NYRR.org. Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director (805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016 Ryan@RunningUSA.org www.RunningUSA.org. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest