NEW YORK, April 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- More than
7,000 women from around the world took to New York's Central Park on Sunday, April 17, to participate in the
13th Annual MORE/SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon. The
race, presented by SHAPE magazine in partnership with
the New York Road Runners (NYRR), is one of the largest
women's-only half-marathons in the country.
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7788253-shape-half-marathon-winner/
"It's always inspiring to see so many beautiful and strong women
pounding the pavement in Central Park," says SHAPE
Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Goodman
Artis. "We're thrilled to be a part of this empowering
event."
To celebrate the 13th anniversary of the 13.1-mile
race, the MORE/SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon hosted its first-ever
Women Run the World™ Relay & Mentorship Program. The
relay honored 13 notable female leaders across multiple
industries, while also highlighting the importance of supporting
inspiring and empowering the next generation of women.
Each of the 13 honorees was paired with a mentee from NYRR's
Run for the Future program, which trains New York City high school girls to run their
first 5K race, build and strengthen self-confidence, and earn money
toward college.
Each pair ran or walked a one-mile leg of the course as part of
a relay team.
The honorees included:
- Sara Bareilles, singer,
songwriter and composer of the new Broadway musical
Waitress
- Lisa Borders, President
of the WNBA
- Danielle Brooks, actress
and star of Orange is the New
Black and The Color Purple on Broadway
- Jaclyn Emerick, Fitness
Director of SHAPE magazine
- Holly Frew, Emergency
Communications Manager for CARE
- Elizabeth Gore,
Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Dell
- Lori Griffith, Vice
President of Special Events and Public Relations for Bloomingdale's
- Stephanie Laing, Emmy
award-winning writer and director, and co-founder of PYPO, a new
digital platform supporting female voices in comedy
- Padma Lakshmi, Host of Bravo's Top Chef, author
of the new memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate, and
co-founder of The Endometriosis Foundation of America
- Kim Martin, Chief
Strategy Officer of Meredith Corporation
- Jennifer Storms, Chief
Marketing Officer of NBC Sports Group
- Zoe Timms, Executive
Director of the nonprofit Women's Education Project
- Ronnie Tucker, Vice
President of Marketing and Digital for New York Road Runners
"I loved being a part of an all-female race," says Bareilles.
"There were cheers from not only the sidelines, but from runners
themselves, encouraging each other along the way, and I thought
that was really special. It was an inspired morning."
Natalie Morales,
TODAY show News Anchor and Third-Hour Co-Host;
Erica Hill, NBC News' Anchor
and Correspondent; and Carolyn
Manno, NBC Olympics Host, hosted the race. Morales, Hill
and Manno completed the race in an impressive 1:36:43, 2:11:46 and
2:07:25, respectively. Morales and Hill returned for the second
year, after hosting the 2015 MORE/SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon and
completing the race in 1:38:59 and 2:06:52, respectively.
Morales, Hill and Manno kicked off the event early on Sunday
morning, cheering on the runners ahead of the race start.
"The MORE/SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon is such a great event,"
says Morales. "It's thousands of women cheering each other on and
pushing each other to cross the finish line and succeed. That
positive energy makes this the best race."
World masters half-marathon record-holder and the event's
three-time defending champion Deena
Kastor ran for fun in the middle of the pack, finishing—with
a smile and to loud cheers—in 1:48:59.
The race winner, Caroline LeFrak
of the New York Athletic Club, crossed the finish line in 1:16:28;
her NYAC teammate Allie Kieffer was
the runner-up in 1:17:07.
Race sponsors included Danskin Now, Lane
Bryant, Maui Jim and Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Co. CARE,
a leading humanitarian organization that empowers women and girls
around the globe, served as the Charity Partner; Bloomingdale's served as the Retail Partner;
and NBC's TODAY and NBC Olympics served as the Media
Partners of the 2016 event.
For race details and additional information, please visit
http://moreshapehalf.com/.
ABOUT SHAPE
Launched in 1981, SHAPE
helps women achieve the best versions of themselves while
understanding that healthy living is more than an endgame—it's a
source of personal joy and lasting reward. SHAPE magazine is
published 10 times a year with a rate base of 2.5 million and an
audience of 27 million, reaching women across all platforms,
including the 8.5 million users on Shape.com and
Fitnessmagazine.com, and through award-winning consumer events and
innovative brand extensions. Visit us online at:
http://www.shape.com/ | Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SHAPEmagazine | Twitter: @Shape_Magazine |
Instagram: @Shape_Magazine | Snapchat: @Shape_Magazine
ABOUT NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS (NYRR)
Founded in 1958,
New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the
world's premier community running organization, whose mission is to
help and inspire people through running. NYRR's commitment to
New York City's five boroughs
features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school
programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands
of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation,
know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR's premier
event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York
City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the
race features 50,000 runners, from the world's top professional
athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity
runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
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SOURCE Meredith Corporation