U.S. Olympian Deena Kastor Breaks Event Record, Sets New U.S. Masters Record In 1:11:38 At 11th Annual More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women's Half-Marathon On April 13

NEW YORK, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Three-time U.S. Olympian Deena Kastor, 41, raced to a first place finish at the 11th Annual More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women's Half-Marathon in New York City's Central Park on Sunday, April 13, 2014. Kastor shattered the previous course record time of 1:13:25.051 set in 2013, running a blazing 1:11:38, setting not only a new event record, but also a new U.S. Masters record. Local runners Tsehay Geisto of New York, NY took second place in 1:15:07, while Aregash Gubae placed third in 1:18:35.

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Of her accomplishment, Deena Kastor shared: "This is another great weekend in New York City, the New York Road Runners always put on a first-class event, and teaming up with the More/Fitness teams just makes this a celebration of women, health and fitness through running, and it's always been a really fun weekend for me here in New York."

Hoda Kotb hosted  the event and pumped up runners before the race with a sing-along to Pharrell's "Happy." Kotb posed for selfies with runners along the course and shared how serving as the 2014 event host inspired her. "I love this vibe in the morning. I gotta tell you, there's nothing quite like it. Women woke up at the crack of dawn to be together. You just love the sisterhood and you love the feeling."

10,000 women from around the world participated in the race—the largest women's-only half-marathon in the country—established by More and Fitness magazines in partnership with New York Road Runners.

Fitness Editor-in-Chief Betty Wong ran the race for the eighth consecutive year, finishing in a time of 2:07:00.  "It was an honor to run with the thousands of inspiring women who united in Central Park with a common purpose – to take charge of their fitness goals and become a better version of themselves."

To mark the 11^th annual race, More and Fitness announced the winners of the first-ever Women Run the World™ Essay Contest, which celebrated five women who shared their stories of triumph and accomplishment in the face of adversity. According to More Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour, "Each year, this race attracts amazing women—from novice runners to elite athletes to survivors beating the odds—and this year, we were lucky enough to share our runners' most inspiring stories with our readers."

Race participants ran to celebrate various initiatives, including 2014 charitable partners CARE and Girls on the Run NYC. CARE is a leading humanitarian organization that empowers women around the world to help end global poverty. Girls on the Run NYC inspires girls to be healthy using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running and culminates in a 5K race. Athleta and Skechers were the presenting sponsors, Duane Reade and Tonalin were the official product sponsors, AmLactin was an Expo Sponsor and The Better Show was the official media partner.

About More Magazine
Launched in September 1998, critically acclaimed More is the only lifestyle publication that celebrates women of style and substance. More is the leading voice of women enjoying the richest years of their lives, sharing the latest on beauty, fashion, health, career, finance, travel and culture. More serves a community of affluent, influential women interested in reinventing themselves and their world. More is published 10 times a year by Meredith Corporation with a rate base of 1.3 million and readership of more than two million. More was named 2006 Magazine of the Year by Ad Age and also landed on the publication's "A List" of Top 10 magazines in 2007, 2005 and 2003. Also, Adweek named More to its 2006 "Hot List," Capell's Circulation Report honored More as one of the Top 10 Newsstand Performers in 2006, while Media named More the "Best Women's Lifestyle Magazine" of 2004. Additional information may be found online: www.more.com | Facebook: Facebook.com/moremagazine | Twitter: @moremag | Pinterest: Pinterest.com/moremagazine | Instagram: Instagram.com/moremag.

About FITNESS Magazine
Launched in 1992, FITNESS magazine is a leading source for all the latest news on health, nutrition and exercise. FITNESS motivates women to move—for fun, for health, for life. With workouts and diet plans that get results, plus inspiring beauty and health tips, FITNESS empowers women to be fierce about reaching for and achieving body success, however they define it. FITNESS is published 10 times a year by Meredith Corporation [NYSE: MDP], with a rate base of 1.5 million and an audience of 7.3 million readers.  Additional information may be found online: www.fitnessmagazine.com | Facebook: Facebook.com/fitnessmag | Twitter: @fitnessmagazine | Instagram: Instagram.com/fitnessmagazine.

About 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 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, the TCS New York City Marathon, features 50,000 participants, from the world's elite athletes to a wide range of recreational and charity runners, and is part of the World Marathon Majors, an alliance of the world's six biggest marathons that determines each year's top male and top female marathoner. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

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SOURCE Meredith Corporation