Knee
Injury Forces Meb Keflezighi Out of NYC Half-Marathon
March
21 race was to have been his first since winning the ING New York City
Marathon
last year
New
York, March 10, 2010ÛÓA
knee injury has forced 2009 ING New York City Marathon champion Meb
Keflezighi
to withdraw from next weekÛªs NYC Half-Marathon, it was announced today
by
New York Road Runners officials.
The NYC
Half-Marathon on Sunday, March 21, is the richest half-marathon in the
United
States, with a prize purse of $100,000. The race boasts a menÛªs field
led
by marathon world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, two-time
ING
New York City Marathon winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, and
United
States Olympians Anthony Famiglietti and Abdi Abdirahman. The womenÛªs
field features 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor of the
United
States and 2009 London Marathon runner-up Mara Yamauchi of Great
Britain.
ÛÏDue
to a setback in my training a few weeks ago, I will not be prepared to
compete
in the NYC Half-Marathon,Û Keflezighi said in a statement to NYRR
officials. ÛÏThe New York Road Runners have assembled a great field once
again, and I was looking forward to being a top contender. But I
developed
soreness on my left knee that required me to take several days off and
cut back
on mileage for a few weeks. Since I lost most of the build-up phase of
my
marathon training in February, I will have to pass on a tune-up race and
focus
my time on preparing for the Boston Marathon [next month].Û
Keflezighi
has not raced since his historic victory last November, when he became
the
first American winner in New York since 1982, when Alberto Salazar won
the last
of his three consecutive titles.
New
York Road Runners
New York
Road Runners, founded in 1958, 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. NYRRÛªs home base in New York, and its lifelong identification
with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status,
attracting the
worldÛªs top professional runners. Our youth programs provide
running
to nearly 100,000 schoolchildren in New York City, around the country,
and in
South Africa who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities.
For
more information, visit www.nyrr.org.