Melaleuca Athlete Takes Second Place in the ING NYC Marathon, Wins the USA Women’s Marathon Championship
Making Her Marathon Debut, Shalane Flanagan Achieves Best Finish by an American Woman in 20 Years
Idaho Falls, ID (PRWEB) November 7, 2010
Shalane Flanagan, the bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters at the Beijing Olympics, made a dazzling marathon debut by finishing the ING New York City Marathon as runner up with a time of 2:28:40. She came in 20 seconds behind Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat and 21 seconds ahead of the race’s third place finisher, Mary Keitany, of Kenya. Flanagan’s runner-up finish is the best by an American woman since Kim Jones finished second back in 1990.
Flanagan also won the USA Women’s Marathon Champion, which was being contested simultaneously within the NYC Marathon. This qualifies her to represent the U. S. women at the 2011 world marathon championships in South Korea.
During the race, a pack of 19 elite female runners stayed together until the halfway point. The group eventually began to narrow. For portions of the last few miles in Central Park, Flanagan was able to pull ahead. In the end, Flanagan rallied to pass Mary Keitany, but Edna Kiplagat surged to cross the line first.
As she finished the race, Flanagan was overwhelmed with emotion. Since she was young, she said, Flanagan has dreamed about being a marathon runner.
"I couldn’t be more pleased in my first marathon debut. I just felt so prepared," she said during a television interview Sunday. "My team really prepared me for this moment and this day. I just felt good, so I just tried to be calm and collected."
The NYC Marathon is the largest sporting event in the world. With 45,344 runners this year, an estimated two million spectators lined the 26.2-mile course. Shalane wins a $65,000 purse as the women’s NYC Marathon runner-up and $40,000 for first place as the USA Women’s Marathon Champion.
Melaleuca supports several Olympic and world-class athletes who use Melaleuca products as part of their daily training. Before Shalane won her Olympic medal in 2008, Melaleuca had a strong relationship with Shalane in helping her reach her Olympic goals.
Melaleuca President McKay Christensen said on Sunday, “Melaleuca is so proud of Shalane! She has once again shown the world that she is a true champion. This is just another great moment in her career and all of Melaleuca’s customers and employees around the world congratulate Shalane on her great achievement!”
About Melaleuca
Melaleuca, The Wellness Company™, enhances lives by developing, manufacturing and marketing more than 350 natural health and wellness products. These health, home cleaning, pharmaceutical and personal care products are designed to be safer and more cost-effective than grocery store brands. For more information about Shalane Flanagan’s performance in the ING NYC Marathon, visit http://www. melaleuca. com.
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