Olympians Culley, Bawcom, Hastings Join NYC Field

By David Monti

(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly all rights reserved

(Used with permission)



NEW YORK (06-Sep) -- Coming off of strong track 

seasons which culminated with personal best performances 

at the London Olympics, Janet Bawcom, Julie Culley and 

Amy Hastings will extend their competitive year by competing 

for the first time in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, 

November 4, organizers announced today.  They are the best of 

17 American women who are slated to run in the all-women's professional 

race of what is the world's largest marathon, and will be competing for 

their share of a special USA-only $100,000 prize money purse.



Bawcom, 34, of Flagstaff, Ariz., is the reigning USA 25-K champion and record holder, and finished 12th in 

the Olympic Games 10,000m in a career best time of 31:12.68.  She has a marathon personal best of 2:29:45 

set at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston last January where she finished fifth.  Culley, 30, of 

Annandale, N.J., will be making her marathon debut in New York after winning the USA Olympic Trials 5000m 

title last June and finishing 14th in the Olympic final at the same distance.  Like Culley, the 28 year-old 

Hastings of Leavenworth, Kan., won the USA Olympic Trials 10,000m title last June and finished 11th in the 

Olympic final in a career best 31:10.69.  Hastings, who finished fourth at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials, 

has a career best time of 2:27:03.



"Twenty-twelve has been the most incredible year of my running life," Hastings said through a statement 

provided by the New York Road Runners, the race founder and organizer.  "There have been ups and downs to try

 and make the Olympic team, but that only made it better when I finally was able to race in front of the 

Olympic torch for the U.S.  For me, there is only one fitting way to finish a year like this, only one way 

that can live up to the hype of the Olympics, and that is by racing on the shut-down streets of Manhattan for

 the famous ING New York City Marathon.  It is a race I have dreamed about running for years, but racing my 

first one in 2012 just seems right."



In addition to the trio of Olympians, race director Mary Wittenberg also announced that Serena Burla, Molly 

Pritz, Michelle Frey, and Alisha Williams would also be competing.  Burla ran a career best 2:28:27 in Seoul

 last March; Pritz, the top American finisher at New York last year, has a best time of 2:31:52; Frey's 

fastest marathon is 2:35:51; and Williams's best is 2:35:09, set in her debut at the distance at this year's 

Olympic Trials.



"We are honored to welcome a blockbuster field of up and coming American women," Wittenberg said through a 

media release.  "Our Olympians, Amy, Janet, and Julie will lead the U.S. team and it will be a special treat 

to host 'local' Julie Culley in her marathon debut."



With a live national television broadcast on ESPN2, live local broadcast on WABC-TV, and different streaming 

options, more Americans will be able to watch the race than ever, the Road Runners said.  Factoring in their 

global broadcast partners, the Road Runners said 330 million people would be watching the event.



PHOTO: Amy Hastings on her wan to winning the 2012 USA Olympic Trials 10,000m 



NOTE: Race Results Weekly provides professional athletes consulting to the New York Road Runners --Ed.