Paula Radcliffe to defend title at ING New York City Marathon 2008

New York, October 1, 2008�World record-holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain will return to the streets of New York to defend her title at the ING New York City Marathon 2008 on Sunday, November 2, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg.

A year ago Radcliffe, 34, amazed the world with an inspiring victory in New York just 10 months after the birth of her first child, daughter Isla, on January 17, 2007. She pulled away from Ethiopia's Gete Wami in the final mile to capture the title in 2:23:09.

Unbeaten in New York, Radcliffe captured her first crown in 2004 in dramatic fashion when she out-dueled Kenyan Susan Chepkemei by three seconds in the closest women's finish in race history.

A third win would lift Radcliffe into second place for the most New York victories, behind the legendary Grete Waitz of Norway, who amassed an astounding nine New York City Marathon wins.

�"We never stop being amazed by what Paula is able to do; she is the all-time greatest, and New York always seems to bring out the best in her," Wittenberg said. �"Paula's participation makes this our best women's field ever."

Radcliffe returns seeking a bit of redemption at the 26.2-mile distance following a disappointing performance in the women's marathon at the Olympic Games. Injuries plagued Radcliffe's preparation for the race and resulted in her 23rd-place finish (2:32:38).

�"I am really looking forward to returning to the ING New York City Marathon," said Radcliffe. �"New York has always been very special to me and every time I return it becomes more special. Grete Waitz has always been an inspiration to me, and getting a small step closer to what she achieved in New York City would be amazing to me."

Radcliffe owns the women's marathon world record of 2:15:25, which she set in 2003 at the Flora London Marathon. Her marathon debut of 2:18:56, which she ran in London in 2002, is still the fifth-fastest time in history. She holds four of the five fastest women's marathon times in history, and has won seven of the eight marathons she has finished, including three victories in London, two in New York, one in Chicago, and one at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki

Radcliffe joins previously announced World Marathon Majors champion Wami, 2007 Boston champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia, and marathon first-timers New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith and American Olympian Kara Goucher. The women's race for the second World Marathon Majors crown and the $500,000 prize purse will once again be determined in New York.

New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008. NYRR is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of more than 100, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRR's home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the world's top professional runners. Our youth programs provide running to 50,000 schoolchildren in New York City and around the country who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.

ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races, drawing nearly 105,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and more than 300 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the nearly 750,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.

World Marathon Majors
The ING New York City Marathon is one of five events in the World Marathon Majors series that showcases the sport's top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1 million champion's prize. The WMM series also includes the Boston Marathon, the Flora London Marathon, the BMW Berlin Marathon, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. For more information, visit www.worldmarathonmajors.com.