Paula Radcliffe to make rare US appearance at New York Women’s
Mini Marathon
Richard Finn (New York Road Runners)
28 May 2001 - New York - Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain), the reigning World Cross Country long-course champion (7.7 kilometres), will race in the USA for the first time in four years when she makes her New York Women's Mini Marathon debut in the 30th running of the 10km (6.2 mile) event on Saturday, June 9, it was announced today by Allan Steinfeld, President and CEO of the New York Road Runners.
Radcliffe returns to the New York City streets for the first time since winning the Fifth Avenue Mile, another New York Road Runners event, in 1996 and 1997. In 1997, Radcliffe also won the Crescent City race (31:47) in New Orleans, the only previous 10k road race in her career.
Radcliffe comes back as the World Cross Country champion, taking the gold (27:49) at Ostend, Belgium, in March. One day after her victory, Radcliffe won silver in the short course (4k) event (14:47), losing to Gete Wami of Ethiopia by a single second. She is the reigning World Half Marathon champion (69:07).
The New York Women's Mini Marathon, the original women's only road race, carries $30,000 in prize money, with $10,000 going to the winner. The race benefits the New York Road Runners Foundation a not-for-profit organization establishing school based running programs for New York City middle school students of all fitness and athletic abilities in schools without recreation or sports programs.
Radcliffe, 27, won the silver twice at the World Cross Country Championships (1997, 1998) and took bronze in 1999 before this year's victory.
On the track, Radcliffe is the fastest Briton of all time at 5000m (14:43.54) and 10,000m (30:26.97), and the third-fastest European at the longer distance. She has competed twice in the Olympics, finishing fifth at 5000m in 1996 and fourth at 10,000m last year (after leading most of the race). She holds the world road record for five miles (24:54).
