New York, USA - Reigning World Half-Marathon champion and 25K World record holder Mary Keitany of Kenya will step up to the Marathon distance for the first time in her career at the ING New York City Marathon 2010 on Sunday, November 7.

The ING New York City Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
 
The debut of Keitany, 28, will be the latest in a long list of Marathon debuts in New York by some of the world’s best women distance runners: Grete Waitz (1978), Tegla Loroupe (1994),  Deena Kastor (2001), Marla Runyan (2002), and Kara Goucher and Kim Smith (2008). Also making her Marathon debut in this year’s race is American Olympian Shalane Flanagan.
 
Keitany set the 25K World record of 1:19:53 at the BIG 25 in Berlin on 9 May this year. She owns three of the top 12 times in Half-Marathon history and has not lost a Half-Marathon race since October 2007.
 
“It will be my debut at the marathon distance and I have no idea how my body will react in the last miles, but I’m confident for the new challenge in front of me,” said Keitany.
 
Also announced for the women’s field were two-time Olympian Kim Smith of New Zealand and former World champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia, who join the previously announced Flanagan and British Olympian Mara Yamauchi for the 41st running of the race.