Local Runner is One-To-Watch in Sunday's Blue Cross Broad Street Run

April 27, 2015 – More than 22,000 women (40,000 runners overall) will take part in Philadelphia’s Blue Cross Broad Street Run on Sunday, but only one can win. And Hopewell’s Esther Erb just may be the one to do it.

After all, she’s done it before. In both 2011 and 2012, Erb was the top American finisher in the race – and in her second try, she won it all. Now she hopes to do it again.

“I have only been living in Central New Jersey for two years, but my sister, Emily Erb, is an artist who has been living Philadelphia since 2001,” says Erb. “Because of the race taking place in her home town, the Broad Street Run was one of my favorite competitions since I could also visit my sister in the City of Brotherly Love. I really hope that I can come back and win again this year now that I am more of a local and the region feels more like home!”

In addition to her Broad Street Run win in 2012, Erb has a number of other major running accomplishments to her name. In October, 2014, she won the U.S. Marathon Championships and earlier that year placed 20th at the Boston Marathon in a personal best time of 2:33:15. In 2013, she came in third at the 2013 U.S. Marathon Championships. And in 2012, the same year she won the Broad Street Run, she placed 27th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Erb has qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials and is currently seeded 15th for that race based on her time from the Boston Marathon.

“My next major competition will be at the 2015 Track and Field World Championships in Beijing this August, where I will compete for Team USA in the Marathon,” Erb says. “The Broad Street Run would be my first race on the road to Beijing. I can’t think of a better place to start off my journey!”

Photo #1: Esther Erb winning the 2012 Blue Cross Broad Street Run

Photo #2: Hopewell’s Esther Erb winning the U.S. Marathon Championships in October, 2014