Alina Alekseyeva
Russia
Age: 21

Primarily a track runner, Alekseyeva recently began a promising road-racing career: She took seventh place in the prestigious ING Bay to Breakers 12K in San Francisco and was second in the Cotton Row Run 10K. In 2007, she was the bronze medalist in the European Championships Under-23 10,000 meters in 33:09.63.

Aziza Aliyu
Ethiopia
Age: 22/p>

Like many of her Westchester Track Club teammates, Aliyu is a Bronx resident from Ethiopia who, despite a heavy racing schedule, keeps getting faster. She set her personal record for 10K (32:43) in winning this year’s Riker Danzig Newport 10,000, and she set a women’s event record at the Healthy Kidney 10K, continuing her remarkable NYRR road-race hot streak: Since April 2007, Aliyu has won seven NYRR events.

Deena Kastor
United States
Age: 35

Kastor, the American marathon record-holder (2:19:36), qualified for her third U.S. Olympic team by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon in April in Boston; she is preparing for the Women’s Olympic marathon in Beijing on August 17. The 2004 Mini champion, she captured this bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games. Kastor won the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and the 2006 Flora London Marathon, and she was an Olympian at 10,000 meters in 2000.

Hilda Kibet
Netherlands
Age: 27

Kibet placed sixth in the 2007 Mini, and she returned to New York in August to win the second annual NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE, defeating defending champion Catherine Ndereba by one second. This year, after becoming a Dutch citizen, Kibet ran a personal-best time of 31:01 to win the Dutch 10K road title, and she recently set a 10,000-meter track PR of 30:55.61. She is the cousin and training partner four-time Mini winner Lornah Kiplagat.

Magdalena Lewy-Boulet
United States
Age: 29

A native of Poland, Lewy-Boulet became a U.S. citizen in 2001. She ran a brave frontrunner’s race at this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials – Women’s Marathon in Boston: She led until 23 miles, where she was passed by Deena Kastor, and held second place to qualify for the Olympic team. Lewy-Boulet has competed in the Mini three times (2003, ’04, ’06) and twice in the ING New York City Marathon (2003, ’06).

Kathy Newberry
United States
Age: 29

Newberry is the head women’s cross county coach at the College of William & Mary, her alma mater. She finished seventh at the USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego in February and represented the United States at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh in March. In May, she ran a PR 32:50.97 for 10,000 meters. Newberry will compete at that distance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field in Eugene later this month. She represents the New York Athletic Club.

Madaí Pérez
Mexico
Age: 28

Pérez had a spectacular month of May, qualifying for the Mexican Olympic team at the national marathon trials and setting a personal best for 10,000 meters (31:30.23) at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. She finished third in the 2007 Boston Marathon and fifth in last year’s NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE. In 2006, she set the Mexican marathon record (2:22.59) when she finished fourth at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

Blake Russell
United States
Age: 32

Russell returned to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon in 2008 after finishing a heartbreaking fourth in 2004. She inspired many with her comeback at the 2008 Trials, where she claimed the third spot on the U.S. Olympic team for Beijing. The NYRR New York Mini 10K will be her first race since the Trials and her Mini debut. She won the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships 8K at Van Cortlandt Park.