ING New York City Marathon to Conclude Inaugural Year of World Marathon Majors Series

NEW YORK CITY – The ING New York City Marathon, with its stellar elite field and 40,000 participants, is a highlight of the international marathoning calendar. This year’s race, taking place this Sunday, November 5, will have added import as it is the fifth and final event on the 2006 World Marathon Majors (WMM) Series calendar–and the women's field will be battling for the top spot on the leaderboard.

With the 2006 Boston, Flora London, real,-Berlin and The LaSalle Bank Chicago races already completed, the standings atop the leaderboard illustrate the depth and intensity of the competition thus far. Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) has assured himself the top spot for the men heading into 2007, by virtue of his victories in Boston and Chicago. The lead of the top female, Berhane Adere (ETH), is more precarious, however. Adere's fourth in London and first in Chicago–good for 30 points–have given her a slim five-point lead over New York entrants Deena Kastor (USA) and Rita Jeptoo (KEN).

Many miles of hard racing still remain before the first WMM Series champion is crowned a year from now, but much could be decided over the 26.2 miles in New York on Sunday. Indeed, the outcome of the ING New York City race could see plentiful changes in the WMM standings, especially among the women. The American favorite, Kastor, was the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and the winner in London earlier this year, while Rita Jeptoo (KEN), won Boston in April. Should either win in New York–and capture the accompanying 25 points–they would roar past Adere and into a commanding WMM lead. In fact, any placing in the top three would be sufficient to overhaul the top-ranked Ethiopian.

This is not to say that the NYC race is a two-woman confrontation. The field is loaded with talent, with Catherine Ndereba (KEN), the second fastest female marathoner in history, and Lornah Kiplagat (KEN), fresh off of a 20K world record in early October, also on the starting line. Nor to be overlooked is Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT), New York’s defending champion and the second-place finisher in Boston earlier this year. Ndereba and Kiplagat have yet to make an appearance in the WMM standings, while Prokopcuka is tied for sixth with 15 points. The permutations are many, as even Susan Chepkemei (KEN)–currently tied for ninth with 10 points–could end up atop the leaderboard should she win and the other favorites falter. The only thing that may be assured is that Adere is unlikely to head the rankings once the leaders have reached the finish line at Tavern on the Green.

Cheruiyot is secure, for now, at the head of the men’s WMM rankings, but competition behind him is fierce. A loaded New York field–including last year’s winner, Paul Tergat (KEN), and runner-up, Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), whom Tergat denied by a hair’s breadth–is poised to wage a titanic battle and which may result in all kinds of movement among the minor WMM placings.

Tergat has yet to leave his mark in the WMM. Ramaala, third in London this year and tied for eighth in the WMM standings, will, therefore, be contending with Olympic champion Stefano Baldini (ITA) and the American duo of Meb Keflezighi and Alan Culpepper, in a bid to close the gap on Cheruiyot and move closer to the WMM pay-out. Ramaala and Keflezighi can have the greatest impact: A victory for either would move him into a clear second position while a runner-up placing would install them in tie for second with Felix Limo (KEN) and Haile Gebrselassie (ETH).

Inaugurated this year, the World Marathon Majors is an innovative alliance among the world’s five leading marathons–Boston, Flora London, real,-Berlin, The LaSalle Bank Chicago, and ING New York City. Competitors in the World Marathon Majors series accumulate points in each of the five marathons in which they participate over a two-year period. They may contest as many races as they wish, but only their four best count towards the standings. Also, they must compete in a World Marathon Majors event in each year of the two-year scoring period. Although the series functions on a two-year rotation, the cycles overlap. Hence, the World Marathon Majors cycles proceed as follows: 2006/2007; 2007/2008; 2008/2009, etc. The prize money for the first cycle will be awarded at the end of 2007, with $1,000,000 USD divided equally between the first placed man and woman. Thereafter, prize money will be awarded annually. Note: in the years in which they occur, the World Championships and Olympic Games marathons are also part of the series.

Standings, breaking news and further information about the World Marathon may be found at www.worldmarathonmajors.com.

At present, the World Marathon Majors standings are as follows: