FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Monti, Editor & Publisher
d9monti@verizon.net
+19173852666 (New York)
Bob Ramsak, Assistant Editor
bramsak@earthlink.net
Website: http://www.raceresultsweekly.com
RACE RESULTS WEEKLY ANNOUNCES
2009 RUNNERS OF THE YEAR
Kenenisa Bekele and Linet Masai Recognized
for Medals, Consistency
NEW YORK (December 28) -- Race Results
Weekly, the wire service of distance running,
announced today that Ethiopian Kenenisa
Bekele and Kenyan Linet Masai had been
selected the Race Results Weekly 2009
Runners of the Year. RRW, the world’s
most comprehensive source of middle and
long distance running results and news,
selected Bekele and Masai for their dramatic
victories at the IAAF World Championships
in Athletics and consistency throughout
their respective seasons.
"Bekele’s undefeated season
at 3000 meters and above, including two
world titles, made him a clear choice,"
said Editor and Publisher, David Monti.
"But it was a much tougher call to
pick Masai. World champions Maryam Yusuf
Jamal of Bahrain (1500m) and Vivian Cheruiyot
of Kenya (5000m) also had enviable records.”
After failing to finish an early season
1500m, Bekele, 27, went on to win ten
consecutive races. He not only won the
world titles at both 5000m and 10,000m,
but recorded the fastest times in the
world for both of those distances (12:52.32
and 26:46.31, respectively). He was also
the second-fastest athlete at 3000m, and
won a share of the IAAF Golden League
Jackpot by winning all six races he contested
at Golden League events.
“Whether it was a championship
race or a big invitational, the result
was the same,” said Assistant Editor
Bob Ramsak. “At the World Championships
he controlled the 5000m final perfectly,
mustering a better sprint than even Bernard
Lagat, one of history’s greatest
milers. It’s just amazing that he
ran 20,000 total meters at the World Championships
and ran his very last lap in 53.7 seconds.”
It was the fourth time Bekele was named
Race Results Weekly Runner of the Year.
He also won in 2003, 2006 and 2008.
Masai was the surprise world champion
at 10,000m at just 19 years-old, passing
Ethiopia’s Meselech Melkamu at the
line to win by 1/10th of a second. She
was also the silver medallist at the IAAF
World Cross Country Championships in the
senior division, and notched 9 victories
in 16 podium finishes on all three surfaces
(cross country, road and track). She also
ran the world-leading time at ten miles
(50:39).
“Her silver medal at World Cross
gave her a tiny edge over Jamal and Cheruiyot,”
explained Monti. “Jamal was absolutely
dominant at 1500m, and Cheruiyot had 15
total victories and fast times on both
the track and the roads. But it was Masai
who made two trips to the medal stand.”
In determining the Race Results Weekly
2009 Runners of the Year, the editors
considered each athlete’s entire
competitive record for the year, but ultimately
gave the greatest weight to their best
and most inspiring performances, especially
at major championships when the stakes
were highest.
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ABOUT RACE RESULTS WEEKLY: Founded in
1994, Race Results Weekly is the professional
distance running results and news service
relied upon by running industry professionals.
RRW covers over 2500 middle and long distance
races each year; no source is more comprehensive,
respected or more timely. Subscription
information is available at http://www.raceresultsweekly.com.
ENDS
