Jelena Prokopcuka, Lidiya Grigoryeva to Run NYRR New York Mini 10K – New York, Boston winners join championship professional field for June 9 race

NEW YORK – Two-time defending ING New York City Marathon champion Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia and 2007 Boston Marathon winner Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia will join the world-class professional field for the NYRR New York Mini 10K on Saturday, June 9, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Prokopcuka, a two-time Olympian, was runner-up to Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands in both 2005 and ’06. Last year, Kiplagat edged Prokopcuka by seven seconds to win in a time of 31 minutes, 27 seconds.

Grigoryeva will be making her first appearance in the world’s original women-only road race, which debuted in 1972. As previously announced, the deeply talented field also includes defending champion and three-time winner Kiplagat, 2004 World Cross Country champion Benita Johnson of Australia and Commonwealth Games medalist Mara Yamauchi of Great Britain. Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was forced to withdraw due to illness.

„Jelena and Lidiya are unusual in that they are both strong marathon runners with plenty of leg speed,“ Wittenberg said. „Because the hills of Central Park favor stronger runners, this course is ideally suited for them. Look for their marathon strength to help them take the sting out of Lornah’s speed.“

Prokopcuka, 30, currently sits atop the women’s leader board for the inaugural World Marathon Majors title. Earlier this year, she finished second to Grigoryeva at the 2007 Boston Marathon – her second consecutive runner-up finish in the race. Prokopcuka owns Latvian national records over eight distances, including for 10,000 meters on the track and on the road.

Grigoryeva, 33, overtook Prokopcuka in the 25th mile at Boston and held on, despite severe wind and rain, to win her first World Marathon Majors race. She has represented Russia in two Olympics and has run the ING New York City Marathon three times, including a fifth place finish in 2006.

„Jelena and Lidiya provide an interesting subtext to the overall race for the title,“ Wittenberg said. „Jelena has a score to settle with Lidiya after Boston, and now she has a chance to do it on her own turf in New York.“

Also in the field is a large group of Japanese professionals led by Yuri Kano, Kiyoko Shimahara and Mari Ozaki. Kano, 28, last competed in New York at the first-ever NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE in August 2006, where she finished fourth. She recently took third in the 2007 Osaka Ladies Marathon. Shimahara, 30, was fifth in the 2006 Boston Marathon and second in the 2006 Asian Games Marathon. Ozaki, 31, was the runner-up in the Osaka Ladies Marathon in both 2005 and 2007.

New York Road Runners will offer a prize purse totaling $30,000, with $10,000 going to the winner. A bonus of $5000 will be awarded to the first runner who finishes 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 Mini got its name when race founder Fred Lebow 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

Source/Courtesy
Ryan Lamppa,
Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org |
www.RunningUSA.org