Inga Abitova
Russia
• PR of 2:22:19 (London 2010)
• 2010 Virgin London Marathon runner-up
• 2006 European 10,000m champion
• Fourth at ING New York City Marathon 2010 (2:29:17)

Isabellah Andersson
Sweden
• Four-time Stockholm Marathon champion (2008-11)
• PR of 2:23:41 (Dubai, 2011; Swedish record)
• Seventh at 2011 World Championships Marathon
• Native of Kenya and former orienteer

Jéssica Augusto
Portugal
• Ran 2:24:33 in her debut this year in London (eighth place)
• 2009 Great North Run (half-marathon) winner in 1:09:08
• Seventh at 2011 NYC Half (1:10:00)
• Represented Portugal in four IAAF World Outdoor Championships

Galina Bogomolova
Russia
• PR of 2:20:47 (Chicago, 2006)
• Three-time Olympian and former Russian marathon record-holder
• 2008 Rome Marathon champion
• 2000 and 2004 Russian Olympian at 10,000m

Firehiwot Dado
Ethiopia
• Three-time Rome Marathon champion (2009-11)
• Set PR of 2:24:13 in Rome this year
• 2010 Fifth Third Bank Run 25K winner (1:23:46)
• Making her ING New York City Marathon debut

Buzunesh Deba
Ethiopia
• Resident of the Bronx; fastest-ever female New York marathoner
• Set a PR of 2:23:31 in San Diego this year
• 10th at ING New York City Marathon in 2010; 7th in 2009
• Two-time NYRR Fred Lebow Runner of the Year (2009-10)

Misiker Mekonnin Demissie
Ethiopia
• Set a PR of 2:25:21 in San Diego this year (runner-up)
• 2011 Lilac Bloomsday 12K winner
• 2011 Deseret Morning News 10K winner
• Competes for NYC-based West Side Runners

Ana Dulce Félix
Portugal
• Set a PR of 2:26:30 in Vienna this year
• 2009 European Cross Country Champion
• 2011 Portuguese champion at 5000m, 8K XC, and 15.05K road
• Eighth at 2011 World Championships 10,000m (31:37.03)

Lauren Fleshman
United States
• Seventh at 2011 World Championships 5000m
• 15-time NCAA All-American at Stanford University
• USA Outdoor 5000m champion in 2006 and 2010
• Making her marathon debut in New York

Mary Keitany
Kenya
• 2009 World Half-Marathon champion
• Set the world half-marathon record this year (1:05:50)
• Won 2011 Virgin London Marathon in 2:19:19 (PR)
• Third at ING New York City Marathon 2010 (2:29:01)

Werknesh Kidane
Ethiopia
• Set a PR of 2:26:15 in Boston this year (7th place)
• 2003 World Cross Country champion, plus five other individual World Cross medals
• 2003 World Championships 10,000m silver medalist
• Married to defending ING New York City Marathon champion Gebre Gebremariam

Caroline Kilel
Kenya
• 2011 Boston Marathon champion (2:22:36)
• Won the 2011 B.A.A. 10K in 31:58
• Has won marathons in Palermo, Nairobi, Taipei, and Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Making her ING New York City Marathon debut

Diane Nukuri-Johnson
Burundi
• Ran a PR of 2:33:47 at Los Angeles this year
• Won 2011 Fifth Season 8K (26:07) and Steamboat Classic 4M (20:41)
• Set Burundian records this year at 10K, 8K, 4M, half-marathon, and marathon
• Lives and trains in Iowa City, IA

Jo Pavey
Great Britain
• Ran first marathon in London this year (2:28:24, 19th)
• Won the 2011 Bupa London 10,000 (GB 10K Championships) in 32:22
• Sixth at the 2011 NYC Half (1:09:33
• Three-time national champion at 5000m

Molly Pritz
United States
• 2011 USA 25K Champion (1:25:28)
• Ran a half-marathon PR of 1:11:05 this year
• Won the 2011 Indianapolis Women's Half-Marathon (1:15:01)
• Making her ING New York City Marathon debut

Jen Rhines
United States
• U.S. Olympian in 2000, 2004, and 2008
• Has a PR of 2:29:32 (2005)
• 2011 USA 15K and Half-Marathon champion
• Running first marathon since 2006

Caroline Rotich
Kenya
• 2011 NYC Half champion and event record-holder (1:08:52)
• Eighth at ING New York City Marathon 2010 (2:29:46)
• Fourth at 2011 Boston Marathon (2:24:26; PR)
• Won the 2010 B.A.A. Half-Marathon (1:10:52)

Kim Smith
New Zealand
• Set a PR and New Zealand record of 2:25:21 in London in 2010
• Won the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon (1:07:11)
• Fifth at ING New York City Marathon 2010 (2:29:28)
• Holds multiple New Zealand records on track and roads