NEW YORK (04-Mar) -- The fifth edition of the NYC Half-Marathon here on Sunday, March 21, will be broadcast live by Universal Sports, through both their national free-to-air television channel and their website, UniversalSports.com, the New York Road Runners announced today. This is the first time that viewers throughout the United States and the world will have the chance to watch the race, live.
The 90-minute broadcast, which will be anchored by veteran sportscaster Bruce Beck, will begin at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (the USA switches to daylight-saving time on March 14). The streaming coverage will be available globally, with no "geo-blocking," Universal Sports said. (To find the Universal Sports TV channel in your area, to go this link and enter your ZIP Code: UniversalSports).
The New York Road Runners also announced that they had beefed an already strong men's field with three more stars, including two-time ING New York City Marathon champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, reigning IAAF World Cross Country champion Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia, and 5000m and 10,000m national record holder Alistair Cragg of Ireland.
"The interest continues to build with the addition of World Cross Country champion Gebre Gebremariam and Ireland’s best long-distance runner Alistair Cragg as they tackle the half-marathon distance," said Mary Wittenberg, the New York Road Runners president and CEO through a media release. "Marilson is one of our all-time favorite ING New York City Marathon champions and we always enjoy having him race here. The broadcast of the race continues NYRR's strategy of bringing the very best in road racing to a global audience."
Gomes dos Santos and Gebremariam are already accomplished half-marathoners, with personal best times of 59:33 and 61:59, respectively, and dos Santos will be using the race as a tune-up for the Virgin London Marathon in April. Cragg, who now trains with the Mammoth Track Club in California under coach Terrence Mahon, will be making his debut at the distance. The Irishman, who ran for the University of Arkansas, has a 10,000m personal best of 27:39.55.
The race had already contracted world marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and ING NYC Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
Over 10,000 runners are expected for the NYC Half-Marathon, the richest half-marathon in the United States with a $100,000 prize money purse and $20,000 going to both the men's and women's winners. This will be the first edition of the race, which goes from Central Park to Battery Park, to be held in the spring; the previous four editions were held in the summer.
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