Abdirahman & Lewy Boulet Lead Strong Line-Up of Americans at the ING New York City Marathon

September 29, 2008 from press release (New York, NY) Three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman [file photo] and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon runner-up Magdalena Lewy Boulet lead a strong line-up of American standouts in the ING New York City Marathon 2008 on Sunday, November 2, it was announced today by New York Road Runners.

Jason Lehmkuhle, James Carney, and Josh Rohatinsky, all of whom competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon in Central Park last year, were also announced, along with four-time USA champion and former NCAA cross country champion Katie McGregor. U.S. Olympian and IAAF World Championships 10,000-meter bronze medalist Kara Goucher was previously announced; she will be making her marathon debut.

“It’s a star-spangled banner group of top Americans running New York this year,” said Wittenberg . “They come to New York believing in themselves and knowing they belong on our biggest stage in marathon running. Abdi, Magdalena , Katie, Jason, James, and Josh join Kara to make our most formidable team of Americans in years, with each a factor in his or her own right.”

Abdirahman, 31, of Tucson , AZ , will be making his third appearance in New York after finishing 14th in his marathon debut in 2004 and fifth in 2005. A four-time USA champion at 10,000 meters, he qualified for his third Olympic team by winning the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field, and finished 15th in the event (27:52.53) at the Beijing Olympic Games.

“Everybody knows that New York is the race to run in the fall,” said Abdirahman. “I know the competition will be really tough, but I’m going there to try to win it. That’s how I always run.”

Lewy Boulet, 35, of Oakland , CA , broke away from the field early and led for much of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon in Boston this past April before finishing second in 2:30:19 to make her first Olympic squad. She dropped out of the Olympic Games marathon in Beijing due to a knee injury sustained in the days leading up to the race. Lewy Boulet will be making her third appearance at the ING New York City Marathon after finishing 15th in 2006 in 2:42:38.

“I’m really excited to run this year’s ING New York City Marathon,” said Lewy Boulet. “After the disappointment of my injury in Beijing , I’m eager to get back out and prove myself against the world’s best marathoners, and New York always has a stellar field. The city has always had a special place in my heart, and this race has gotten the best of me in the past. But I’m determined to run a great race this time.”

McGregor, 31, of St. Louis Park , MN , made her marathon debut in the ING New York City Marathon 2006 and will be making her second marathon appearance on the streets of New York . She has finished fourth in the 10,000 meters in two Olympic Trials (2004, 2008), missing a spot on the team. McGregor finished second at this past weekend’s USA Women’s 8K Championship in Akron, OH .

Lehmkuhle, 31, of Minneapolis , MN , finished fifth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials last November and will represent the United States at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, which will be held in Brazil on October 12.

Carney, 30, of Boulder, CO , set a personal best of 2:16:54 in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. He is the 2008 USA champion at 20K and the half-marathon.

Rohatinsky, 26, of Portland, OR , was the top marathon rookie at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, finishing ninth in 2:15:22. The 2006 NCAA cross country champion placed fifth in the U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000 meters.

New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008. NYRR 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 50,000 schoolchildren in New York City and around the country 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 more than 300 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the some 750,000 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 Flora London Marathon, the real,- Berlin Marathon, and the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. For more information, visit www.worldmarathonmajors.com .