Goucher tunes up for NYC Marathon

Oct 6, 2008 - 4:49 PM MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) - United States Olympian Kara Goucher tuned up for her marathon debut in New York next month by cruising to victory in the USA Women's 10 Mile Championship.

Goucher, the 2007 World Outdoor Championships 10,000-meter bronze medalist earned her first USA road title on Sunday in 53 minutes 44 seconds, a comfortable winner over hometown runner Katie McGregor, who took second in 55:04, with Kelly Liljeblad a distant third in 57:06.

Goucher, who will move up to 26.2 miles for the first time at the ING New York City Marathon on November 2, moved to the head of the field early, sharing the lead with McGregor for the first three miles before going it alone to the finish and picking up the $10,000 winner's check.

Goucher will face some of the world's best women's marathoners in New York in just under four weeks with world record holder Paula Radcliffe of Britain returning to defend the title she won last year just 10 months after giving birth to her first child.

Also announced as entrants in the elite women's field last week for the 39th running of the five-borough classic were two-time Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, Tegla Loroupe, Joyce Chepchumba and Rita Jeptoo, all of Kenya, and 2000 New York winner Ludmila Petrova of Russia.

Added to the men's field last was a trio of former champions - Paul Tergat of Kenya, Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, and Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil - and last year's runner-up Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco while American interest will focus on three-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman.

Tergat, the former marathon world record holder, captured the 2005 crown in the closest finish in race history when he outsprinted 2004 winner Ramaala by three-tenths of a second. Having kept a low profile for the last 18 months he returned to competitive action two weeks ago with a runner-up finish at the Lisbon Half-Marathon, a race in which New York's 2007 champion Martin Lel broke a foot. Lel's injury has denied him the chance to defend his crown on November 2.