This Sunday marks the running of one of the most important US events in our sport – the ING New York City Marathon.  The race, which covers New York’s 5 boroughs, is truly one of the world’s great road races, attracting both world-class professional athletes and over 40,000 “amateur” runners.  More than 2 million people line the course to cheer on the participants and the race is broadcast worldwide to a viewing audience of over 300 million people.

Since its first staging in 1970, nearly three-quarters of a million people have run the New York Marathon and many of its stars have become household names.  The event is of course, staged by the famed New York Road Runners, which notably was one of the first to create a separate start for elite women runners (2002) as a way to highlight the women’s field.  Today, women elites running the race still start 35 minutes before the men and the rest of the field.

Parenthetical note: In 1972, the six female runners entered in the NYC Marathon sat on the starting line for 10 minutes and then started with the men as a protest to an AAU rule requiring a separate women’s start (see image courtesy of NYRR).

This year, the roster of elite women runners is heavenly indeed:

Joyce Chepchumba, 37 – Kenya – PB: 2:23:22
Kara Goucher, 30 – US – PB: 1:06:57 (Half)
Hayley Haining, 36 – UK – PB: 2:29:18
Rita Jeptoo, 27 – Kenya – 2:23:38
Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 32 – US – PB: 2:30:19
Tegla Loroupe, 34 – Kenya – PB: 2:20:43
Katie McGregor, 31 – US – PB:2:32:36
Lyubov Morgunova, 37 – Russia – PB: 2:25:12
Catherine Ndereba, 36 – Kenya – PB: 2:18:47
Ludmila Petrova, 40 – Russia – PB: 2:21:29
Paula Radcliffe, 34 – UK – PB:2:15:25
Kim Smith, 26 – NZ – PB: Marathon Debut
Dire Tune, 23 – Ethiopia – PB: 2:24:40
Gete Wami, 33 – Ethiopia – PB: 2:21:34

I’m not even going to venture a bet.  And while I will be out running my own 9 miles on Sunday morning (albeit at a pace about 2Xs what these elite women run), you can bet I’m going to be recording what is sure to be an exciting race.  Oh, to be in New York on Marathon Day!

You can check out the fabulous ING New York City Marathon website to see more exciting video footage of past races and learn more about the field.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Tags: new york marathon, ING New York City Marathon, joyce chepchumba, kara goucher, hayley haining, rita jeptoo, magdalena lewy boulet, tegia loroupe, katie mcgregor, lyubov morgunova, catherine ndereba, ludmila petrova, paula radcliffe, kim smith, Dire Tune, gete wami

Wow! How exciting! It looks as though, the fastest women runners were 30+!! We get more beautiful inside and out with age...It is great to be a woman :) Posted by: Betty on Nov 04, 2008 at 10:31 AM