Navigation
Inaugural NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K: Well-Known Americans Deena Kastor, Dathan Ritzenhein Are Racing
New York, October 12, 2011--The inaugural NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K has recruited some top Americans, including Olympians Deena Kastor and Dathan Ritzenhein. The race will be held on Saturday, November 5, during ING New York City Marathon weekend. The 5K will start near the United Nations, cross Midtown on famed 42nd Street, and head uptown to the marathon finish line in Central Park; the course is flat and fast.Deena Kastor will be joined by previously announced American 5000m (track) record-holder Molly Huddle, as well as Magdalena Lewy Boulet (runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials), and 2011 World Championships 10,000m silver medalist Sally Kipyego of Kenya.
Dathan Ritzenhein will be racing with fellow 2008 Olympians Matt Tegenkamp and Lopez Lomong, and two-time USA champion Ben True.
“The Dash to the Finish Line is just one more way for everyone to get involved in marathon weekend,” said New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. “From Opening Ceremonies to the Mobile Spectator App, there are so many ways to get involved even if you aren’t running. There is the bonus of running across our famed marathon finish line with talented athletes in this fast, fun 5K.”
Deena Kastor, 38, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, is the American marathon record-holder (2:19:36, London, 2006). She earned the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics. After the birth of her first child in February, Kastor began a comeback to racing at the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June. She recently won the Rock ’n’ Roll San Jose Half-Marathon in 1:12:23.
“I’m excited to be a part of the inaugural NYRR Dash to the Finish Line,” said Kastor. “As I continue my focus and training for the Olympic Trials marathon in January, this race will certainly be a ‘dash’ for me.”
Dathan Ritzenhein, 28, of Portland, OR, hasn’t raced since last year’s ING New York City Marathon, when he finished eighth in 2:12:33. The two-time Olympian is back training after a series of injuries earlier in the year. The NYRR Dash to the Finish Line will be Ritzenhein’s first competitive race during his buildup to the Olympic Trials marathon in January.
“I’m very excited to be returning to action at the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line,” said Ritzenhein. “This is a great first step for me to making the 2012 Olympic team and putting the past year behind me. After a full year off from racing, I can’t think of a better place to make my return. I’ve had great comebacks in New York in the past and can’t wait to do it again. Putting on my racing shoes once again on the streets of New York is the best way for me to set my sights on making a third Olympic team.”
Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 38, of Oakland, CA, won the Falmouth Road Race in August, and she set personal bests at 5000 and 10,000 meters this summer. A native of Poland, Lewy Boulet was part of the USA team that took the bronze medal at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Sally Kipyego, 25, of Kenya, attended Texas Tech University, where she was an NCAA standout, equaling the record for most individual NCAA championships in history. She was the 2011World Championships silver medalist at 10,000m in Daegu, South Korea. Most recently, she finished second at the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile in a time of 4:22.6, three-tenths of a second behind winner Jenny Simpson of the USA.
Matt Tegenkamp, 29, of Portland, OR, competed in his first Olympics in 2008 and hopes to represent the USA again in 2012. He recently competed in the 10,000m at the 2011 World Championships; he is one of only five U.S. men to have run under 13 minutes for 5000m.
Lopez Lomong, 26, of Beaverton, OR, is a two-time USA champion at 1500m; he represented the U.S. in that event at the 2008 Olympic Games. Lomong resettled in the United States after escaping captivity in Sudan, and he became a citizen in 2007, one year before being selected as the flag bearer for Team USA during the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
Ben True, 25, of Hanover, NH, has been on a tear in 2011, finishing as the top American at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships before winning the BAA 5K (during Boston Marathon weekend), the USA 10K Championship, and the USA 5K Championship. He also finished second at the USA 15K and 10-Mile Championships. True is part of the In the Arena training group in New Hampshire.
New York Road Runners
Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners is dedicated to advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and meeting community’s needs. NYRR's goal is to use the expertise acquired in its 53-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier lives through participation in NYRR races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs. NYRR races and other events draw more than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR’s premier event, is the largest marathon in the world, attracting the world’s top professional runners every year and raising $30.8 million for charity in 2010. NYRR’s running-based youth programs, which currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of schools and community centers, promote children’s health and fitness, character development, and personal achievement in underserved communities. For more information, see 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 some 140,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the $800,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and a worldwide broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the more than 875,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, see www.ingnycmarathon.org.