Designed to celebrate New York City, the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE will take runners on a loop of Central Park, down Seventh Avenue through Times Square and across 42nd Street. Once the runners hit the West Side Highway they will race down along the Hudson River to Battery Park in the heart of the city's financial district, finishing with a view of the Statue of Liberty. There is a total prize-money purse of $70,000, with the men's and women's champions each collecting $10,000.

"For the third year in a row, the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE will feature a veritable 'who's who' from the world of running, many of whom will be racing in Beijing in two weeks time," said Commissioner Podziba. "2004 ING NYC Marathon winner Hendrick Ramaala and 2007 World Championship gold medalist Catherine Ndereba will be running against some of the world's top athletes in this star-studded race. All 10,000 runners, representing 35 countries and all 50 states, will get the chance to take in the iconic sites of The Big Apple as they race through the traffic-free streets of Manhattan."

"Running is a great form of recreation and a healthy and fun way to explore New York City's 1800 parks," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "From Central Park to Battery Park, the NYC Half-Marathon route boats the verdant, rolling hills and breathtaking waterfront of some of our city's most beautiful parks. Thanks to NIKE, New York Road Runners, NYC & Company, and the New York City Sports Commission for bringing this world-class event to City parks."

On the women's side, a trio of international Olympians including Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, Madai Perez of Mexico, and Benita Johnson of Australia are expected to battle it out at the front of the pack. Also competing will be Yuri Kano of Japan, who took fourth place the past two years in the NYC Half-Marathon and will be coming off a recent victory in the Sapporo Half-Marathon. U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's Marathon fourth-place finisher Zoila Gomez and four-time Olympian Colleen De Reuck will also be among the leading female athletes.

Headlining the men's side will be 2004 ING New York City Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala, 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Men's Marathon runner-up Dathan Ritzenhein and reigning USA Half-Marathon Champion James Carney. Also running in the competitive men's field will be rising American distance star Fasil Bizuneh, Patrick Makau of Kenya and Felix Limo of Kenya.

"Even more than a major international race, this year's NYC Half provides a pre-game glimpse at some of our sport's favorites as they head into Beijing," said New York Road Runners (NYRR) president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. "We welcome Catherine, Benita, Hendrick, Madai - stars in their own right - to our July running summit of Olympians."

"We are once again pleased to have our great city play host to the 3rd annual NYC Half-Marathon," said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. "The race is a great way for visitors and citizens to get out and see our beautiful parks, world-famous landmarks and scenic waterfront. In addition to the race, I hope all involved also get the opportunity to explore the five boroughs and take advantage of this wonderful moment in time for New York City."

The sold-out field of 10,000 will include runners from across the country and around the globe. More than 19,000 people applied for a spot in the race. The field of recreational runners is selected at random through a lottery.

For more information, please visit www.nyrr.org/nychalf.

New York Road Runners, soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of 60, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRR's home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the world's top professional runners. Our youth programs provide running to 12,000 New York City schoolchildren who would otherwise have few or no opportunities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.

Parks & Recreation is the steward of more than 29,000 acres of land - 14 percent of New York City - including more than 4,000 individual properties ranging from Yankee Stadium and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds; we manage four major stadia, 550 tennis courts, 54 public pools, 48 recreational facilities, 17 nature centers, 13 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches; we care for 1,200 monuments and 22 historic house museums; we look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City's principal provider of athletic facilities. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals. For more information about Parks, visit: www.nyc.gov/parks.

NYC & Company is the official marketing and tourism organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. In recent years, the Sports Commission has played a role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.