Colleen De Reuck Named 2009 Masters Athlete of Year by USATF

Colleen De Reuck has been named the 2009 Masters Athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field's Masters Committee. De Reuck will be honored on Saturday, December 5, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind. The event is held in conjunction with USA Track & Field's 2009 Annual Meeting.

At 45 years old, Colleen De Reuck is the oldest woman ever to win a major U.S. championship, having won the 2009 U.S. 20 km Championships by a margin of 17 seconds. De Reuck took control before the halfway point of the race to win the women's crown in 1 hour 07 minutes 21 seconds.

At the Boston Marathon this year, not only was De Reuck in contention throughout the entire race, she took the lead on three separate occasions. She was crowned the masters winner and finished an astounding eighth overall, covering the course in 2:37:57.

De Reuck's other top performances in 2009 includes finishing second overall in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in 2:32:37. The race also played host to the USA Masters Marathon Championships, which saw De Reuck win the W45 age group, and the USA Women's Marathon Championships, in which she finished as the runner-up. De Reuck also won the masters division at the Falmouth Road Race and finished fifth overall.

"It is great that master runners get recognized for their achievements," said Colleen. It is an honor to receive this award, I am very excited and thrilled."

"The most astounding thing about Colleen is that she is a four-time Olympian and she has continued running," said USATF Masters Long Distance Running Committee Chair Don Lein. "Most of our Olympians do not compete as masters, but she has continued on, showing her love for the sport and her love for running. She continues to have outstanding performances which is why we are honoring her."

About Masters track & field and long-distance running

Millions of Americans take part in masters long distance running or track and field, with roughly 53 percent of all male and 40 percent of female road-race finishers being over age 40. A celebration of fitness and healthy living at any age, masters competition features men and women over the age of 40, setting new standards for what is possible as Americans age.