PUBLISHED 11/03/2006
Kastor's 2:19:36 from London in April is the fastest women's marathon performance of 2006 and likely to stay that way. A victory on Sunday in New York, coupled with Paula Radcliffe's absence from serious competition due to pregnancy, will solidify Kastor's status as the top woman's marathon in the world right now. "We have been looking for a breakout U.S. athlete, and it can be Deena," ING New York City Marathon Director Mary Wittenberg asserts. "Winning this race has the potential to turn things around for the sport. That's a heavy (burden) to carry." Kastor herself believes "it all comes down to an intense desire to win this race that has been burning in me for five years."
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