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Australian star Benita Johnson leads a loaded field for Saturday's 30th edition of the Freihofer's Run for Women in Albany, N.Y., one of America's oldest and most prestigious all-women's road races.
Johnson has already won the race twice, splashing to victory in heavy rain in 2006, then coming back to defend her title last year. She's recorded excellent times both years: 15:27 and 15:22, respectively.
"I'm so excited to be returning for my third year in a row," Johnson said through a press release. "Let's hope it is third time lucky for me! I love this event and to run it in an Olympic year means it's vital for my preparation for Beijing. I can't wait to hear the crowd as I run towards the finish. It's truly magic in Albany with those fans screaming!"
Getting her third title will not be easy. Race director George Regan and elite athlete coordinator John Tope have assembled a very strong field of challengers. Three Africans, Millicent Gathoni and Genoveva Jelagat Kigen of Kenya and Amane Gobena of Ethiopia, are all in excellent form and have their eyes set on the top step of the podium. Gathoni, just 21, won last Monday's Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10-K in a personal best 32:49 despite the high altitude conditions. Kigen won both the Crescent City Classic and Azalea Trail Run 10-K's last March in the same time of 32:11 (she probably would have won the Rite Aid Cleveland 10-K earlier in May but ran off course and finished fifth). Gobena is coming off of a second place finish at BolderBOULDER in 32:53, just a few steps behind Gathoni.
Also in the field are Kenyan Olympian Jane Wanjiku, British Olympian Kathy Butler, and 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Joan Samuelson.
The race offers $27,000 in prize money, with the winner being awarded $10,000. This year's 30th edition will also include the USATF National Race Walk 10-K Open and Junior Championships featuring some of the nation's top race walkers, several of whom will be Olympic team contenders.
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