Courtesy: Chicago Marathon

The world's best female distance runner and marathon World Record holder, Catherine Ndereba, has committed to defend her title at The 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski announced today. "Catherine the Great", as she's also known, set the World Record of 2:18:47 on Chicago's fast course in 2001. She has been acknowledged as the world's #1 marathoner by Track and Field News, Marathoner of the Year by Running Times, and Runner of the Year by Runner's World.

"Catherine's return further enhances the celebration of The 25th Anniversary LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon," said Pinkowski. "She has become a huge part of our history and the sport of marathon running. I am both excited and proud that she will be returning to Chicago this fall."

Ndereba joins a field that includes Paula Radcliffe, marking the first time that two sub-2:19 female marathoners have competed in the same race. In shattering the previously unattainable 2:20:00 barrier in the past year, these two remarkable athletes have revolutionized women's marathon running. The 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will make history by having one of the greatest female marathon competitions ever, with the potential for record-breaking performances.

"Catherine's World Record performance of 2:18:47 in The 2001 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon was one of the greatest women's marathon performances ever and Paula Radcliffe's debut 2:18:56 London Marathon victory was equally impressive and arguably the second greatest women's effort of all-time," said Pinkowski. "To have these two magnificent athletes meet in the prime of their careers on the streets of Chicago may result in the greatest head to head competition in women's marathon history."

Ndereba, 29-years old from Kenya, is the two-time defending LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon champion and the world's top-ranked female road racer during the past four years. Her World Record performance in Chicago in 2001 was nearly a minute faster than the previous record set just the week before by Naoko Takahashi in Berlin. Ndereba is also a two- Boston Marathon champion (2000, 2001) and winner of more than 25 road races during the past two years.

"I feel great and very honored to go back to Chicago to defend my title at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon," said Ndereba. "I love the city and the course. It is also an honor to run with Paula Radcliffe, as I've never competed against her anywhere else before. I think it will be the best competition ever for women, just as the London Marathon was this year on the men's side."

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has always lived up to its reputation as one of the world's fastest courses. Aside from Ndereba's World Record set in 2001, Joan Benoit Samuelson set the woman's American record of 2:21:21 in Chicago in 1985. In its 24-year history Chicago has also owned two men's World Records (1984 Steve Jones ? 2:08:05, 1999 Khalid Khannouchi ? 2:05:42).

Elite athletes will compete this fall for an event record purse of $500,000. The male and female winners each will earn $100,000, the largest ever payout for first place in a marathon. The 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon begins Sunday, October 13 at 7:30 a.m., starting and finishing in Chicago's Grant Park. The race will be televised live on NBC5 and broadcast on Chicago's ESPN Radio AM1000 from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The 2002 race is expected to draw up to the registration cap of 37,500 participants.

The Marathon is open to all runners who can complete the course in less than six hours. For information call toll-free 1-888-243-3344 (U.S. and Canada) or (312) 904-9800. Registration is $80 ($90 for international participants) and can be completed online by visiting www.chicagomarathon.com, runners registering online receive a $5 discount. Mail-in entries will be accepted until September 9, 2002 and online registration is open until September 16, 2002 or until the registration cap is reached, whichever comes first. There will be no race weekend registration.