DOBRISKEY, OLINGER HEADLINE EMERALD NUTS MIDNIGHT RUN
Two-Time Champion Hesch Also Competing
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly. Used with permission.
Reigning
Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile champion Lisa Dobriskey and 2006
Big Ten 10,000m champion Brian Olinger are the top contenders for
victory at the 31st Emerald Nuts Midnight Run scheduled for the stroke
of midnight on December 31 in New York City's Central Park, the New
York Road Runners announced today. Over 5000 runners, many in costume,
are expected for the race, a New Year's Eve fixture in the Big Apple.
"Over
the past 30 years the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run has become the biggest
New Year's Eve party in New York City," said the Road Runners's
president and CEO Mary Wittenberg through a media release. "Runners
and non-runners alike look forward to all of the festivities that this
event has to offer."
While not an elite race as such, many top
athletes have used the Midnight Run over the years as a fun way to test
their winter fitness. Race winners include some of the sport's top
middle and long distance runners, like Ireland's Marcus O'Sullivan and
Sinead Delahunty, the United States's Amy Rudolph and Sara Slattery,
Australia's Shaun Creighton and Andrew Letherby, and Canada's Carmen
Douma Hussar.
Since the distance was changed to four miles in
2000 (it has been a 5-miler and a 5-K previously) the event has grown
even more competitive. The course records stand at 18:12 for the men,
by American Andrew Carlson, and 20:54 for the women by Douma Hussar.
Both marks were set one year ago.
For Dobriskey, the fourth
place finisher at the Beijing Olympics over 1500m, it will be her
second race in New York City this year. The Briton stormed to victory
on Fifth Avenue last September, narrowly defeating U.S. 1500m champion
Shannon Rowbury. Dobriskey will be coming to the race with her
fiancee, Ricky Soos, who ran the 800m at the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens.
Olinger will be running his first road race in New
York. A steeplechaster with a 8:19.29 personal best, Olinger showed
excellent fitness placing third at the very hilly Manchester Road Race
in Connecticut on Thanksgiving day. His chief rival looks to be
two-time champion and former course record holder Christian Hesch, who
won the race in 2003 and 2004. It was Hesch's 2004 course record of
18:28 which Carlson broke last year.
The event kicks off with a
dance party and costume contest at 10:00 p.m., and a costume parade
beginning one hour later. At the stroke of midnight, the runners will
begin their four-mile run through the par, dazzled by a 17-minute
fireworks show. A non-alcoholic champagne station near mile two will
be available for runners who want to toast the new year.
The event website is located at this link, http://www.nyrr.org/races/2008/r1231x00.asp, and the race is still open for entry.
Recent Emerald Nuts Midnight Run Champions:
MEN -
1998 Marcus O'Sullivan (IRL) 14:44 (5 km)
1999 Joseph Kariuki (KEN) 15:21 (about 3.2 mi.)
2000 Janko Bensa (YUG) 19:31
2001 Shaun Creighton (AUS) 19:22
2002 Karl Savage (USA) 19:07 CR
2003 Christian Hesch (USA) 19:36
2004 Christian Hesch (USA) 18:28
2005 Andrew Letherby (AUS) 18:44
2006 Thomas Morgan (USA) 18:31
2007 Andrew Carlson (USA) 18:12 CR
WOMEN -
1998 Zofia Wierciorkowska (POL) 17:28 (5 km)
1999 Alisa Harvey (USA) 17:51 (about 3.2 mi.)
2000 Sinead Delahunty (IRL) 22:08
2001 Janelle Kraus (UsA) 22:24
2002 Janelle Kraus (USA) 22:05 CR
2003 Atalelech Ketema (ETH) 21:50
2004 Amy Rudolph (USA) 21:16 CR
2005 Sara Slattery (USA) 21:36
2006 Aziza Aliyu (ETH) 21:56
2007 Carmen Douma Hussar (CAN) 20:54 CR
