News Archive

<p">Deena Kastor, the American marathon record-holder and the 2004 Olympic marathon

bronze medalist, today announced that she will run the ING New York City

Marathon 2006 on Sunday, November 5. Kastor was joined by ING New York City

Marathon race director and president and CEO of New York Road Runners Mary

Wittenberg on a media conference call this afternoon.

<p"></p"></p">

Difficult decision

<p">“The New York and Chicago Marathons are

two of the world’s greatest marathons and part of the five World Marathon

Majors,” said Kastor, 33. “It was a very difficult decision for me to choose

which marathon to run this coming fall. My decision to run the ING New York City

Marathon got down to the basic fact that I have already won the LaSalle Bank

Chicago Marathon and I want to win in New York!”

<p"> 

<p"></p"></p"></p">

 The announcement comes after much

discussion about where Kastor would follow up her record-setting win at the 2006

Flora London Marathon. Kastor’s victory in 2:19:36, an American record,

made her the eighth woman in history to break the 2:20 barrier in a marathon and

the fourth-fastest female marathoner ever. Kastor had opened her 2006 season three weeks earlier at the

26. Vattenfall BERLIN HALFMARATHON, where she broke her own American record in a

time of 1:07:34. In 2005, Kastor won the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in

2:21:25.

<p"></p">

 "A dream come true"

<p">“To have the opportunity to welcome Deena

back to New York is a dream come true,” said Wittenberg. “Deena comes into the

race as a top favorite and could be the first American woman to win since Miki

Gorman in 1977. Winning in New York would add the exclamation point to an

already tremendous year for her.”

<p"> 

<p"></p"></p"></p">

Kastor made her marathon debut in New York

in 2001, finishing seventh overall (2:26:58) and winning the USA Marathon

Championships. In 2004 she gallantly returned just 11 weeks after her bronze

medal finish at the Olympics. Fighting leg cramps, she was forced to retire

midway through the race.

<p"> 

<p"></p"></p">

More WMM points

A resident of Mammoth Lakes, California,

Kastor is the first professional female athlete announced for the ING New York

City Marathon 2006. Her decision to run in New York adds to the excitement

surrounding her first-place standing in the World Marathon Majors, a two-year

series that showcases the sport’s top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1

million champion’s prize. The WMM also includes the Boston Marathon, the Flora

London Marathon, the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON, and the LaSalle Bank Chicago

Marathon.