Contact: Jill M. Geer
USATF Director of Communications
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.usatf.org
317-261-0500 x360
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, November 3, 2002
Runyan places 5th at NYC in marathon debut
NEW YORK – A pair of renowned American distance runners, known for their
prowess on the track, made their marathon debuts Sunday a the New York City
Marathon.
Marla Runyan, the two-time defending U.S. 5,000m champion on the track and
the 2002 national champ for 5K and 10K on the roads, ran her first marathon
Sunday just three years after making her elite international athletics
breakthrough in the 1,500m at the 1999 World Track & Field Championships.
Runyan ran with the lead pack through the first half of the marathon in New
York, then maintained pace through the second half to finish an impressive
fifth place in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds. Kenyan Joyce
Chepchumba won the race in 2:25:56, and Milena Glusac was the second
American to finish, placing 10th in a personal-best time of 2:31:14 after
briefly leading at mile 17.
A two-time U.S. champion and American record holder on the track at 10,000
meters (27:13.98), Meb Keflezighi, like Runyan, made his marathon debut in
New York on Sunday. Keflezighi took the lead at mile 18 but showed in the
final eight miles. Fighting fatigue, he finished ninth in 2:12:35.
Rodgers Rop of Kenya, the 2002 Boston Marathon winner, added the New York
City title to his resume with his win in 2:08:07.
For complete results and athlete quotes from the 2002 New York City
Marathon, visit www.nycmarathon.org
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