Patrick Makau winning 2009 Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park (© Victah Sailer)
Defending Healthy Kidney 10K champion Patrick Makau Musyoki of Kenya will be challenged by a world class international field in Central Park on Saturday 16 May.
Two-time ING New York City Marathon champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, three-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, AZ, and two-time U.S. Olympian Anthony Famiglietti of Knoxville, TN. will provide the opposition to Makau the 2008 and 2007 World champion over the Half Marathon distance.
Earlier this year, Makau, 24, ran the second-fastest Half Marathon ever (58:52) at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon and made his marathon debut at the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon, finishing fourth in a time of 2:06:14. He will return to New York for the first time since placing a close second to Tadese Tola of Ethiopia in the NYC Half Marathon last July.
Making his New York debut in 2008, Makau clocked the fourth fastest 10K time ever run in Central Park 28:19, and this year will take aim at the Central Park record of 28:08 set at this event in 2007 by U.S. Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein.
Gomes, 31, finished second in last year’s Healthy Kidney by only 12 seconds in 28:31, but found success in New York later in the year when he captured his second ING New York City Marathon title, in 2:08:43. In 2006, Gomes was the first South American in race history to win the ING New York City Marathon with his 2:09:58 finishing time.
Abdirahman, 32, born in Somalia, made his third appearance at the ING New York City Marathon last November and finished in sixth place (2:14:17). A four-time USA champion at 10,000m, he qualified for his third Olympic team by winning the 10,000m at the 2008 Olympic Team Trials and finished 15th in the event (27:52.53) at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Famiglietti, 30, won the USA 15K Championships in March in Jacksonville, FL, outsprinting Tim Nelson of Portland, OR, by one second. In 2008, Famiglietti won his second national 3000m Steeplechase title at the 2008 Olympic Trials and went on to finish 13th at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
NYRR for the IAAF
