Aries Merritt & Jenny Simpson Lead List of Stars at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, release, note by Larry Eder

Aries Merritt, photo by PhotoRun.net

Aries Merritt & Jenny Simpson are two of the top performers who will be racing February 2 in Roxbury, MA at the 18th New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, one of the premier indoor meetings in the world. The Reggie Lewis Center, which hosts over 80 indoor track events during the year for high school and college athletes, is the home for this sensational event. 

Jenny Simpson, 2011 NB Armory, photo by PhotoRun.net

Aries Merritt, how do we start? On September 15, 2012, Aries Merritt ran 12.80, destroying the world record for the 110m hurdles that had stood at 12.87! Right afterwards, Colin Jackson, who holds the fastest time indoors at 60 meters, wanted to know if Aries will make a run for the fastest time indoors? Aries response, ” That’s fast!” 

Jenny Simpson was the wunderwomen of 2011, with her gold medal in the 1,500 meters in Daegu. 2012 just did not work out that way. Simpson made the Olympic team and made it through the first round, but the finals were just not in her year in 2012. 

Our sport is a sport of ups and downs. Who will be the stars in 2013? It is anyone’s guess right now, as many begin training for the long year of 2013. 

What is fun about the New Balance Indoor Games is the intimacy within which one can absorb the meet! Five thousand people, who are real fans, cheer their favorites and make noise as the evening builds to its crescendo! Normally, the Men’s mile, women’s 3000m, or men’s two mile, the final three events of the evening send people away with a great feeling for the sport.

So, get those tickets now and be ready for February 3! Who will be the stars of the 2013 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix? Well, they are training now, all over the US, Kenya, Ethiopia and North Africa, focusing on the prize. 

Aries Merritt & Jenny Simpson Lead List of Stars at New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

Olympic & World Champions to compete on February 2nd

BOSTON (Nov 15) – 2012 Olympic Hurdles Champion, Aries Merritt, and 2011 World 1500m Champion Jenny Simpson will return to Boston for the 2013 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on February 2nd, organizers announced today. Tickets for the 18th annual Olympic-style event are on sale now atwww.nbindoorgrandprix.com or by calling 1-877-849-8722.
 
Aries Merritt, who had one of the best hurdle campaigns in history this year when he won the IAAF World Indoor Championships, the US Olympic Trials and the 2012 Olympic Games in London, ended his historic season by shattering the existing 110m hurdle World Record in Brussels on September 9th.  His time of 12.80 seconds shaved a mind-bending .07 off of the old world record held by the 2008 Olympic Champion Dayron Robles of Cuba. “2012 was a dream season but I am as motivated as ever and already looking forward to the 2013 season,” said Merritt.  “This race in Boston will be my first major competition in the USA since the Games and I want a win and a fast time.”   Merritt had a total of eight sub 13-second wins, surpassing the previous best of seven in a season by Dayron Robles.  Merritt showed glimpses of his outdoor brilliance last winter when he unexpectedly, but convincingly, won the IAAF World Indoor Championship over China’s 2004 Olympic Champion, Liu Xiang.
 
American Jenny Simpson delivered one of the best performances ever for a US distance runner when, at the 2011 IAAF World Championships, she kicked past the entire field to become her country’s first female World Champion at 1500m since Mary Slaney won the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, more than 28 years ago.   Simpson, a savvy racer, qualified for her second Olympic team in 2012, where she advanced to the semi-finals before being eliminated.  She set six NCAA records during her collegiate career at the University of Colorado and is the American Record-Holder in the 3000m steeplechase.  
 
More than 100 Olympic and World Championship medalists have come to Boston to compete in the event which has also played host to 6 World Records, 10 American Records and 19 other national records. 
 
The 18th-annual meet begins at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College.  Tickets and meet Information can be found on-line atwww.nbindoorgrandprix.com or by calling 1-877-849-8722.  Special early-bird discounts expire on January 1st.
 
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