Kenya’s Linet Masai pulled of an impressive win Saturday morning at New York Road Runner’s Women’s Only Mini 10k, with a time of 30:48. The race is steeped in history and tradition. Run for the first time in 1972, the Mini 10k is named for the miniskirt, which was a symbol of renegade women’s fashion, at the time. The initial rendition of the race had less than 100 participants. Saturday’s iteration had over 5000 ladies participating.

Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe, both visibly pregnant, came out to Saturday’s race to show their support for women runners. Paula ran the course, although she was not competing. Kara was not feeling up to the run, though she greeted the runners from the podium at the start line and held the finish line ribbon.

More photos of the event can be seen on the run-nyc.com album page.

In addition to the Linet, the field of Saturday’s elite runners included several Olympic athletes. According to NYRR:

When Linet Masai of Kenya crossed the finish line in Central Park to win the 2010 NYRR New York Mini 10K, she became one of the few runners to have mastered all three of her sport’s disciplines. Already a world champion at 10,000 meters on the track and a two-time silver medalist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Masai has now added a victory in the world’s original all-women’s road race. And she has done it all by the age of 20.
Just past the race’s halfway point, in the tough Harlem Hills section, Masai broke away from the strongest field ever assembled in this race’s 39-year history. The pack behind her included four-time Mini 10K champion Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands, 36, who had led early; Kenya’s Emily Chebet, 24, who had defeated Masai by one second to win this year’s World Cross race in Poland; 2010 Boston Marathon champion Teyba Erkesso, 27, of Ethiopia; and Werknesh Kidane, 28, also of Ethiopia, a former World Cross champion and a World Championships silver medalist on the track.

Congratulations to all of the participants of the 2010 New York Mini 10k, and to NYRR for organizing such a great event. Full results available on the NYRR event result page.

[Photos: Jacob Breinholt]

The NYRR Half Marathon Grand Prix, continues, this weekend, with the New York City Half-Marathon. This race will take place in the borough of Manhattan. This leg of the NYRR Grand Prix is probably the most popular, because of its location.

The course begins on the east side of Central Park, on Central Park Drive, near 85th Street, headed south. After one clockwise loop of the park, runners will exit, onto Central Park South, headed west, to the West Side Hwy. The remainder of the course is located on the south-bound portion of the West Side Highway, to the finish line in Battery Park City. Click here for a course map.

The gun, will be at 7:00, Sunday morning. The weather forecast is looking favorable. As if there weren’t enough reasons to be excited about running, or attending this race on Sunday, It was recently announced the Paul Radcliffe, winner of multiple major marathons, will be participating. This will be the first race of the year for Radcliffe.

The NYRR announced on Thursday:

Making her first start of the year after being sidelined with a foot injury and looking to test her fitness, marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain will run in the fourth annual NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday, August 16, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. Radcliffe last competed nearly 10 months ago when she won her third ING New York City Marathon. She had bunion surgery on her right foot in March. The NYC Half-Marathon will be her first-ever half-marathon in the United States

This should be an extremely exciting event, with an expected participation of nearly 10,000 runners. Check back on Monday, for photos of the race.

Bored of running that same route, day after day? Well, starting Saturday August 8, and for the following two Saturdays, runners will have a unique opportunity to run the heart of the East Side, of Manhattan without dodging taxis.

New York City’s 2009 Summer Streets get underway at 7:00 AM Saturday morning. Park Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 72nd Street, going south. Connecting streets will also be closed, so that one could run/ride/skate, all the way from Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge and back. Click here for a map of the route.

This is the second year of New York Summer Streets. It should be even bigger and better than last year. According to the City’s website, the 2009 Summer Streets will kick off with a fun run:

Kick-off Summer Streets with a fun run with Team-in-Training at Foley Square at 7:30 am. The group will head north up the Summer Streets route to 72nd Street and into Central Park. The run is open to all and you are welcome to go for as long (or as short) as you would like. You can also bike or skate your way along the route. We’ll be providing over 150 free bikes, 180 pairs of free skates at the Soho Station at Spring Street, the Music and Culture Rest Stop at 24th Street and the Family Rest Stop at 51st Street. Feel like really working up a sweat? Take a free class with Crunch at 12th Street. See the Activities page for a full line up of events. And check back often for updates.

The route will be closed to auto traffic from 7:00 AM until 1:00 PM. So, make sure to get out early, and join in the fun. For more information, please visit the City’s Summer Streets Website.

New York Road Runners Team Championships are also Saturday August 8th in Central Park. Various track clubs from around the NYC area will be competing this Saturday, for bragging rights. The men’s race begins a 9 AM, the women’s is at 10 AM. Click here for a course map.

It could be described as the “mermaid parade of running.” Friday night July 24, runners, triathletes, and others gathered in Central park to kick off a weekend of events surrounding the Nautica New York City Triathlon.

The race, sponsored by Nautica, started on the 72nd street transverse of Central Park, and Cherry Hill. The route was a 1.7 Mile lap, of the lower Central Park Drive, then back to the 72nd Street Transverse.

The event set a world record (yet to be confirmed) for the most people assembled wearing only underwear. Most of the runners got creative with their ensembles. Many of the Triathlon clubs participating in the NYC Tri, this weekend, showed up in matching outfits. It was a good time for participants and spectators alike.

For more details about the Olympic length New York City Triathlon taking place this weekend, click here.

For more photos, click here.

The NYRR Run for Central Park, to benefit the Central Park Conservancy was July 18. Zach Tolbert volunteered his photography skills for the event. He shot a hefty stack of great photos, including the one at the top of this post. Check of the rest of the photos here. You can also read the race report on the Examiner website, here.

-J