Courtesy: Running USA

An international potpourri of world-class female runners including last year's third place finisher, Margaret Okayo of Kenya, South African Olympic medalist Elana Meyer and 2001 World Championships marathon bronze medal winner Svetlana Zakharova of Russia have been added tot he field for the 32nd running of the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 4, it was announced today by race director Allan Steinfeld, President and CEO of the New York Road Runners.

The other entries are Florence Barsosio of Kenya, who finished fifth in last year's NYC Marathon, and Maura Viceconte of Italy.

The 2001 NYC Marathon will offer a total guaranteed prize purse of $514,000 and an event record first place prize of $80,000 to the men's and women's champions.

The return of Okayo and Barsosio means that four of the top five women from last year are set to meet again on the challenging five-borough race course. Defending champion Ludmila Petrova of Russia and runner-up Franca Fiacconi of Italy were previously announced.

Okayo, 25, ran 2:26:36 last year in her NYC Marathon debut. She had been runner-up in Chicago in 1999 (2:26:00). She has won the past two Rock 'N' Roll Marathons in San Diego, posting times of 2:27:05 in 2000 and a career-best 2:25:05 this year. Barsosio, 25, ran a career-best time of 2:27:00 in New York last year and won the 2001 Paris Marathon in 2:27:53. She placed sixth in the 2001 World Championships Marathon (2:28:36) in Edmonton.

Meyer, 35, is the 1992 Olympic 10,000 meter silver medal winner. Her marathon best of 2:25:15 was taken with a third-place finish in Boston in 1994. She was the runner-up (2:26:51) in Boston in 1995 and finished no worse than fourth place in the Chicago Marathon from 1998-2000. She is making her NYC Marathon debut.

Viceconte, 34, set the Italian record winning the 2000 Vienna Marathon in 2:23:47. She also holds the Italian record for 10,000 meters on the track (31:05.57). This year, she won the Prague Marathon in 2:26:33. She also has wins in Rome (1999), Monaco (1997) and Venice (1995). Viceconte also is making her NYC Marathon debut.

Zakharova, 31, placed second in the 2001 London Marathon in a career-best 2:24:04, the fastest time by a Russian woman in eight years. She followed that with a 2:26:18 clocking to take third place in the World Championships in August. Zakharova finished 12th in her NYC Marathon debut last year.

For personal reasons, the 1996 men's NYC Marathon champion Giacomo Leone of Italy has withdrawn from this year's race.