New York, October 16, 2013—American Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan will headline the professional athlete fields for the NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday, November 2. New Zealand’s Nick Willis and Kenya’s Sally Kipyego are also among the Olympic medalists who will be part of the incredibly competitive fields assembled for the race, to be run during ING New York City Marathon weekend, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

The field also includes American Olympian and eight-time USA Champion Molly Huddle and her 2012 Olympic teammate Kim Conley. Chris Derrick, the 2013 USA cross country champion, and his IAAF World Cross Country Championships teammate Ben True will also add to the strength of the field, unparalleled by any other 5K in the world this year, which includes 11 London Olympians, three Olympic medalists, 13 women with personal bests under 15:30, 16 men with personal bests under 13:30, 12 current and former USA Champions, and 18 former NCAA Champions. Additional athletes, notable performances, personal best 5K times, and Twitter handles are listed below.

The NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K brings together more than 5,000 runners, families, and friends from around the world to partake in the ING New York City Marathon race weekend. The event allows everyone to be a part of the infectious Marathon excitement. You’ll see another famous athlete “dashing” through the city: Professional women’s basketball player with the Connecticut Sun, and Team USA 2008 Olympic gold medalist Kara Lawson. The race, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 2, near the United Nations building, allows runners to take a high-speed tour of midtown Manhattan and finish at the famed Marathon Finish Line.

For the latest Marathon news, updates, features, and media information, please visit the NYRR online media room at media.nyrr.org or follow us on Twitter @nyrrnews.

Athlete Backgrounds and Notable Performances

• Flanagan, 32, of Portland, OR, won the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in a time of 2:25:38 and went on to finish 10th in the Olympic Marathon. She is the American record-holder at 3000 and 5000 meters indoors and 10,000 meters outdoors. Flanagan was second at the 2010 ING New York City Marathon in her debut at the distance.

• Huddle, 28, of Providence, RI, set the American 5000-meter record of 14:44.76 in 2010 at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meet in Brussels.  Huddle also made the U.S. Olympic team for London, where she finished 11th in the 5000 meter; her sixth-place finish in the 5000 meters at the World Championships in August was the highest-ever finish by an American in that event.

• Conley, 26, of West Sacramento, CA, was third at the 2012 Olympic Trials at 5000 meters (15: 19.79), and she also competed in the 2013 IAAF World Championships, 5000 meters, placing 12th in 15:36.58.

• Willis, 30, of Ann Arbor, MI, was the 2008 Beijing Olympic 1500-meter silver medalist.  He placed ninth in the 2012 London Olympic 1500 meters. Willis won the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile in September in a time of 3:52.1, his second title on Fifth Avenue.

• Evan Jager, 23, of Portland , OR is the American record-holder in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He finished sixth in that event at the London Olympics, and fifth at the World Championships in Moscow.

• Lopez Lomong, 27, of Beaverton, OR is a two-time Olympian. He won the NYRR Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in February, and broke the American record in the indoor 5000 meters at New York’s Armory Track & Field Center in March.

• Derrick, 23, of Portland, OR, is the 2013 USA Cross Country Champion and finished third in the 2013 USA Outdoor Championships 10,000 meters. Derrick was a fourteen-time NCAA Division I All-American and has a 5000-meter personal best of 13:08.04.

• True, 27, of Hanover, NH, is a two-time USA 5K champion and a two-time champion at the B.A.A. 5K on Boston Marathon weekend.  He established a new 5000-meter personal best of 13:11.59 in Monaco in July.

Professional Women

Professional Men

Quotes

Shalane Flanagan

"I am very excited to be invited by New York Road Runners to compete in the Dash to the Finish Line 5k. I will be soaking up all the inspiration and positive energy of the ING New York City Marathon without having to do all the training! The 5k is going to be a great way to kick-start a memorable weekend."

Nick Willis

“I am pumped to be returning to the Big Apple only a few weeks after a thrilling experience winning the Fifth Avenue Mile.  The step up to 5K will pose a different challenge, and I can't wait to test myself over the longer distance.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even get a taste of the marathon distance being in New York City during marathon weekend!”

Mary Wittenberg

“The Dash to the Finish Line 5K is another fantastic way to get everyone involved in the ING New York City Marathon weekend. Whether you want to run or spectate at one of the most fun 5Ks this year, this event gives everyone a reason to come out and experience the Marathon Finish Line. We are thrilled to have such a talented group of professional athletes, including Shalane Flanagan and Lopez Lomong, running this race with us and more than 5,000 other runners—all coming together in celebration of New York City.”

About the ING New York City Marathon

NYRR’s premier event, the ING New York City Marathon is the most loved and most inclusive marathon in the world, attracting elite athletes and recreational runners alike for the challenge and thrill of a lifetime. The race has grown tremendously since it began in 1970 with just 127 runners racing four laps of Central Park. Now, some 48,000 participants from all over the globe flock to New York City every November for an adrenaline-filled road tour of all five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park. Some run for prize money or bragging rights, others for charity or their personal best. All are cheered on by more than two million live spectators and a TV audience of 330 million.

NYRR is proud to be a part of the World Marathon Majors—an alliance with the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW Berlin, and Bank of America Chicago marathons—to advance the sport, raise awareness and increase interest and involvement in participatory and professional marathon running globally. A signature element is the WMM series, which offers a $1 million prize purse to be split equally between the top male and the top female marathoner in the world.