New York, October 1, 2009�Three-time ING New York City Marathon champion and marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain will return to the New York streets to defend her title at the ING New York City Marathon 2009 on Sunday, November 1, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
�"I am really excited to be returning to New York this year for the marathon," said Radcliffe. �"With it being the 40th running, I am sure the atmosphere and the quality of the race will be extra special and I am looking forward to racing and having fun. New York holds so many inspiring and happy memories for me. I want to continue adding memories for many years to come."
Radcliffe, who was sidelined with a foot injury earlier this year, withdrew from the women's marathon at the IAAF World Championships in August due to lack of preparation. After having bunion surgery in March, Radcliffe made her first start of the year by winning the NYC Half-Marathon in August for her seventh straight road race victory in New York City.
�"This is uncharted territory. New York hasn't had a four-time champion runner since the great Grete Waitz won her fourth in 1982," said Wittenberg. �"Paula is an important figure in the history of our race, and it's only fitting that she'll step to the line as the race favorite at our 40th running."
Radcliffe, 35, is only the second woman to win the New York City Marathon three times, claiming her most recent victory last year in 2:23:56. 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.
Radcliffe has won a career New York �"grand slam" by adding this summer's NYC Half-Marathon title to victories at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile, NYRR Mini 10K, and the ING New York City Marathon.
Radcliffe owns the women's marathon world record of 2:15:25, which she set in 2003 at the London Marathon. She has run four of the five fastest women's marathon times in history.
Radcliffe joins a field that includes previously announced past champions Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil (2006, 2008), Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa (2004), Paula Tergat (2005) and Martin Lel of Kenya (2003, 2007), and Ludmila Petrova of Russia (2000).
Athletes will be vying for a total guaranteed prize purse of $800,000, the largest in race history. In celebration of the 40th running of the New York City Marathon, a new champion's bonus of $70,000 will be awarded to any past champion who wins this year, bringing a former champion's first-place prize this year to $200,000.
New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners, founded in 1958, 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 nearly 100,000 schoolchildren in New York City, around the country, and in South Africa who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities. For more information visit www.nyrr.org.
The 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 a worldwide broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the nearly 788,000 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 Virgin London Marathon, the BMW Berlin Marathon, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. For more information visit www.worldmarathonmajors.com.
