Kim Smith Joins Veterans Gete Wami and Dire Tune in the ING New York City Marathon 2008

Hayley Haining, Lyubov Morgunova, and Kara Goucher all “leading ladies” in the 39th running of the five-borough classic

Paralympic Games wheelchair medalists, 2007 defending champion Edith Hunkeler and 2006 champion Amanda McGrory, to compete

New York, September 22, 2008— First-time marathoner Kim Smith of New Zealand and a trio of time-tested champions, including Ethiopians Gete Wami and Dire Tune and Russian Lyubov Morgunova, will compete at the ING New York City Marathon 2008 on Sunday, November 2, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Also announced was the 36-year-old Briton Hayley Haining, who set a personal record of 2:29:18 in the London marathon earlier this year. The five leading ladies join the previously announced United States Olympian and IAAF World Championships 10,000-meter bronze medalist, Kara Goucher, who will be making her much-anticipated marathon debut in the final race of the 2007-08 World Marathon Majors Series.

“What a cast of stars we have gathered as, once again, the leading ladies of the marathon world will be out front and center on race day,” Wittenberg said. “With more announcements to follow, it’s already a potent mix, with highly-touted rookies Kim Smith and Kara Goucher joining steely-eyed veterans like Gete, Dire, and Lyubov.”

A two-time Olympian, Smith, 26, is one of New Zealand’s finest distance runners, holding seven New Zealand national records. Only two Kiwis have won the New York City Marathon: Allison Roe in 1981, setting a world-record time of 2:25:29, and Rod Dixon in 1983, running in 2:08:59.

“We Kiwis have a great distance running tradition and I would love to enhance this tradition in New York City on Nov 2,” Smith said. “I have always wanted to run the marathon distance and now is the right time for me. I am really excited to run my debut marathon at the ING New York City marathon.”

Wami, 37, is the reigning World Marathon Majors series champion and was runner-up to Paula Radcliffe at last year’s ING New York City Marathon. She is a two-time Berlin Marathon champion (2006-07). She holds the Ethiopian national record in the marathon and has won three Olympic medals (silver, 10,000 meters, 2000; bronze, 5000 meters, 2000; bronze, 10,000 meters, 1996).

Tune, 23, is the 2008 Boston Marathon champion and two-time winner and course-record holder of the Chevron Houston Marathon. She represented Ethiopia in the Olympic Games this year in the marathon.

Morgunova, 37, won the 2008 Rotterdam Marathon in a personal-best time of 2:25:12.

The women’s professional wheelchair field includes all three medalists in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, including gold-medal winner and reigning course-record holder and champion from last year, Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland. At the ING New York City Marathon 2007, Hunkeler broke her own course record, which she set when she won the 2004 race. American silver medalist Amanda McGrory returns for her third year—she placed third in 2007 and won in her debut in 2006. Swiss bronze medalist Sandra Graf has finished among the top five in each of her appearances since 2004. Shelly Woods of Great Britain, Beijing bronze medalist in the 1500 meters, will be making her fifth consecutive appearance at the ING New York City Marathon.

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.