Past Champions Mary Keitany of Kenya and Molly Huddle of the United States to Headline NYRR New York Mini 10K Professional Athlete Field on Saturday, June 9

Ten Olympians to toe the line of the most prestigious all-women’s race in the world, including previously announced Boston Marathon champion Des Linden

Five-time New York City Marathon champion Tatyana McFadden to lead group of four Paralympians in world’s only all-women’s professional wheelchair race                                                                                  

New York, May 21, 2018 – Three-time TCS New York City Marathon champion and NYRR New York Mini 10K defending champion Mary Keitany of Kenya and three-time United Airlines NYC Half winner Molly Huddle of the United States will headline one of the best professional athlete fields ever assembled for the NYRR New York Mini 10K on Saturday, June 9.

Keitany, who won the race in 2015 and 2017, and Huddle, who won the race in 2014 in the fastest time ever by an American at the event, will join previously announced Boston Marathon podium finishers Des Linden, Sarah Sellers, and Krista DuChene at the start line of the world’s original women’s only road race. The women’s open division, representing nine different countries, will include 10 Olympians in total racing the historic event that was established in 1972 as the world’s first road race exclusively for women.

“We are excited to have one of the best professional athlete fields ever assembled for the NYRR New York Mini 10K – the most prestigious all-women’s road race in the world – and one which includes past champions, Olympians, and Abbott World Marathon Majors race winners,” said Peter Ciaccia, president of events for NYRR and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “Led by Mary, Molly and Des, this phenomenal group of women lining up will certainly thrill the spectators along the course on June 9, as well as those fans around the globe watching the race on USATF.TV.”

Keitany, 36, of Kenya, is a three-time TCS New York City Marathon champion whose 3:34 margin of victory in 2016 was the greatest in the women’s race in 36 years. She is a two-time winner of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, taking the series titles in 2012 and 2016, and a three-time London Marathon winner, breaking the women’s-only marathon record in 2:17:01 in the British capital in 2017. Keitany won her first NYRR New York Mini 10K title in 2015 with more than a one-minute advantage over her competitors, and took her second title last year more than 48 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

“The NYRR New York Mini 10K is a very special race for me, not only because I have been able to win it twice, but because it is so special to see so many women of all ages and abilities running together,” Keitany said. “I hope that I am able to inspire them as much as they inspire me.”  

Huddle, 33, of Providence, RI is a three-time winner of the NYC Half who won the USATF 5K Championships last year in New York in a course-record time of 15:24. She finished in third place in her marathon debut at the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon. Earlier that year, she won the 5000 and 10,000-meter races at the U.S. Olympic Trials – becoming the first woman in history to win the double – and finished sixth in the 10,000 meters at the Rio Olympics, setting a new American record in 30:13.17. Her win at the 2014 NYRR New York Mini 10K made her the first American to win the title in a decade, and her time of 31:37 set an American record for a women’s-only race.

“I’ve loved my experiences at the NYRR New York Mini 10K – first winning the race in 2014, and then pacing the stars of the future in the Rising New York Road Runners youth race in 2016,” Huddle said. “It’s so inspiring to see mothers and daughters, sisters, lifelong friends, and complete strangers come together in this great celebration of women, running, and being healthy, and I’m excited to be a part of that again. Plus, the post-race band is always really great.”

The NYRR New York Mini 10K, already one of the most storied women’s only road races in the world, will also feature a professional wheelchair division for the first time this year, starring four Paralympians, including five-time New York City Marathon champion Tatyana McFadden. Joined by Paralympians Amanda McGrory, Chelsea McClammer, and Susannah Scaroni, and newcomer Michelle Wheeler, they will make history by taking part in what is believed to be the only all-women’s professional wheelchair race in the world.

Here’s a look at the full professional athlete fields for the race:

Professional Athlete Field – Open Division

Professional Athlete Field – Wheelchair Division

The event was founded as the world’s original women’s only road race in 1972, and was first called the six-mile Crazylegs Mini Marathon. The NYRR New York Mini 10K got its current name when race founder Fred Lebow convinced the sponsor to support a six-mile “mini” marathon—named for the miniskirt, a big fashion trend of the times. Seventy-two women finished that first race, which helped show that women deserved to run in road races as much as their male counterparts. Three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for female athletes. The International Olympic Committee added the women’s marathon to the Olympic program for the first time at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, a decision sparked by the growth of women’s road racing, which was led by the success of the Mini.

From those who led the way 46 years ago, such as race legends Kathrine Switzer and Nina Kuscsik and the event’s inaugural champion Jacqueline (Marsh) Dixon, to the 199,733 women who have finished the race since 1972, the NYRR New York Mini 10K has served as one of the most impactful women’s races in running history.  

The 10K race will begin on Central Park West at 61st Street and will finish at 67th Street on West Drive. Runners will vie for a first-place prize of $10,000 in the open division and $1,250 in the wheelchair division, with the pro races scheduled to be live streamed on USATF.TV.

The third annual Rising New York Road Runners at the NYRR New York Mini 10K, a 1.2-mile race for girls ages 12-18, will kick off race day at 7:25 a.m.The Girls’ Run will start at the same Columbus Circle location as the 10K and will head up Central Park West before entering Central Park and finishing at the 72nd Street Transverse. For the first time, all participants of the Girls’ Run will receive a free pair of New Balance running shoes donated by Citi.Additionally, as part of Citi’s Global Community Day, Citi volunteers will help support the runners and ensure a smooth, successful start and finish of the race.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR) 
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners.  To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.