Rising Star Mary Cain Running Mayor’s Cup XC

BOSTON, Mass. ‰ÛÒ
Today,
the Boston Athletic Association announced that American Olympic hopeful
Mary Cain will race the 2015 Boston Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country meet on
Sunday, October 25, at Franklin Park in
Boston. Cain, who represented Team USA at the 2013 IAAF World
Championships in the 1500 meters, will be making her debut at the event,
which is in its 25th year.

Since
her high school days in Bronxville, New York, Cain has been a dominant
force on the American distance running scene. While still a high
schooler,
she competed at a national and international level, setting junior
records from the 800 meters through the 3000 meters.

At
the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last year, Cain
took home the gold medal at 3000m. She also owns the world junior record
for 1000m indoors, having timed 2:35.80 in Boston in 2014.

The
Boston Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country meet is held at iconic Franklin Park,
featuring a route that explore the area‰Ûªs famed Bear Cage Hill and
Wilderness
Loop. Franklin Park played host to the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country
Championships, the last time the meet was held on American soil.

Having
moved back home to New York this fall, Cain is competing in cross
country events in the Northeast. On October 6 she won the Harry Murphy
Cross
Country meet in New York‰Ûªs Van Cortlandt Park with a time of 17:11.

Since
its inception in 1990, the Boston Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country meet has
seen many notable champions, including Lynn Jennings, Kim Smith, and
Mark
Carroll. Event records stand at 22:53 for men (set by Silah Misoi in
1997), and 16:08 for women (Mary Cullen, 2008).

Joining Cain on the starting line for the Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Women‰Ûªs
Championship 5K race will be Cory McGee, a member of Team USA at the
2013 IAAF World Championships, as well as Liz Costello. Both McGee and
Costello train in Boston.

Among
the top contenders entered for the Men‰Ûªs Championship 8K race are
former University of Oregon All-American Trevor Dunbar and last year‰Ûªs
NCAA
Division II Cross Country national champion Tabor Stevens.

Runners
of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate in the 2015
Boston Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country meet. Kicking off the day‰Ûªs events are
Youth races that are 1.1 miles in length. Boys and girls ages 6 to 10
will compete at 10:00 a.m., followed by boys and girls ages 11 to 12 at
10:15 a.m.  At 10:30 a.m., 13 to 14-year-old boys and girls will race on
Franklin Park‰Ûªs course.

The
Championship Women‰Ûªs 5K will begin at 10:50 a.m., with the Championship
Men‰Ûªs 8K at 11:15 a.m.  The Franklin Park 5K (an open event for those
not wanting to compete in the Championship races) concludes the day‰Ûªs
events at 12:00 p.m.

For
19 years the Boston Athletic Association and adidas have been partners
in developing the Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country races into a premier
competition
for the City of Boston. Regarded as one of the most competitive cross
country post-collegiate events in the United States, many top level
clubs use the Mayor‰Ûªs Cup to prepare for the USATF National Club Cross
Country Championships. Colleges also have found
that the event is good preparation for the championship portion of
their season.

The
Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country races are held within historic Franklin Park,
part of Frederick Law Olmsted‰Ûªs renowned Emerald Necklace park system,
located five miles southwest of downtown Boston. Both the start and
finish lines, along with race registration and awards presentations, are
at The Playstead: a large field located within the park and bordered by
White Stadium, Franklin Park Zoo, and William
Devine Golf Course. The course is comprised almost exclusively of grass
and dirt. In the true spirit of cross country running, the course is
challenging with equal parts run on flats and hills.

The
event is managed by USA Track & Field New England and hosted by the
Boston Centers for Youth & Families and the Parks and Recreation
Department.

For more information on the Boston Mayor‰Ûªs Cup Cross Country meet, please visit
www.baa.org.

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Established
in 1887, the B.A.A. is a non-profit organization committed to running
and has played an integral role in the support and development of the
sport throughout the United
States since its inception. From fielding athletes who competed at the
first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 through the 119^th Boston Marathon in April 2015 and its other year-round events and programs, the pursuit of excellence in middle
and long distance running has stood at the fore of the organization.