Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri will defend their titles at the TCS New York City Marathon – a World Athletics Platinum Label road race – but they’ll both face strong opposition on Sunday.
Tola, the 2022 world champion, won in New York last year in a course record of 2:04:58, then went on to claim the Olympic title in Paris in a Games record of 2:06:26. What made his feat all the more impressive is that he was only drafted into the Ethiopian team two weeks before the Games, having initially been named as a reserve.
“I’m excited to defend my title in New York, especially coming off an Olympic-record marathon performance,” said Tola. “The hilly course and crowds in Paris definitely prepared me well for the bridges and spectators in New York, where maybe I can go even faster this year.”
Two-time Olympic medallist Bashir Abdi will also be one to watch; the Belgian earned silver at the recent Games, having taken bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and at the 2022 World Championships.
Three past winners – all from Kenya – are also in the field: 2022 champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Albert Korir, and 2019 and 2017 victor Geoffrey Kamworor. Chebet has twice won the Boston Marathon, and has finished first or second in 13 marathons.
Meanwhile Kamworor – a three-time world half marathon champion and two-time world cross-country champion – has made it on to the podium in all four of his New York Marathon appearances.
Fellow Kenyan Abel Kipchumba, who won this year’s NYC Half Marathon, will be making his New York City Marathon debut. He warmed up for New York by winning the Great North Run in 59:52 in September.
The US charge is led by Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who finished eighth and ninth respectively in the Paris Olympic marathon.
Like fellow defending New York Marathon champion Tola, Obiri also made it on to the podium in Paris, claiming bronze in the marathon. It was her third Olympic medal, having earned silver over 5000m in 2016 and 2021.
Last year the seven-time world medallist from Kenya became the first woman in 34 years to win both Boston and New York in the same calendar year. Earlier this year, she retained her Boston Marathon title in 2:22:37.
“There’s no place like New York, and I am so ready to defend my title,” said Obiri. “I have been racing very well on the roads in the US, and I hope I can have another good day that sees me in contention once we enter the final stages in Central Park.”
Fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, the 2022 NYC Marathon winner, will return after finishing third last year and fourth in the Olympic marathon in Paris.
The Kenyan delegation also includes 2010 champion Edna Kiplagat, four-time Olympic medallist Vivian Cheruiyot, and Sheila Chepkirui.
Kiplagat, now aged 44, is still highly competitive on the international road running circuit. Earlier this year she set a half marathon PB of 1:07:52 in Houston, then finished third at the Boston Marathon in 2:23:21.
Vivian Cheruiyot, a four-time world champion on the track, finished third at the Paris Marathon earlier this year in 2:21:46, her first completed marathon in almost five years. A 2:18:31 performer at her best, the 41-year-old will be keen to match or improve on her runner-up finish in New York from 2018.
Chepkirui is the fastest entrant based on PBs. She clocked a best of 2:17:29 on her marathon debut in Valencia two years ago, and has finished inside 2:20 in all three of her marathons since then, her most recent being a 2:19:31 clocking in London in April.
Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba will make her New York City Marathon debut and is one of the world’s most accomplished long-distance runners as a three-time Olympic and 16-time world champion. She has completed four marathons to date, her last one being in 2018, but has finished on the podium every time.
She will be joined by compatriot Senbere Teferi, the 2015 world 5000m silver medallist who set a marathon PB of 2:19:21 last year, and Dera Dida, who is the fastest entrant based on season’s bests (2:19:29).
Dakotah Popehn (nee Lindwurm), the top US finisher in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, leads the US contingent alongside Sara Vaughn, Aliphine Tuliamuk and Jenny Simpson.
Elite fields
Women
Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:17:29
Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) 2:17:56
Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:18:31
Senbere Teferi (ETH) 2:19:21
Dera Dida (ETH) 2:19:24
Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:50
Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:02
Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2:22:45
Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:23:10
Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:23:24
Kellyn Taylor (USA) 2:24:29
Fabienne Schlumpf (SUI) 2:24:30
Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:24:37
Dakotah Popehn (USA) 2:24:40
Lily Partridge (GBR) 2:25:12
Jessica McClain (USA) 2:25:46
Des Linden (USA) 2:25:55
Tristin Colley (USA) 2:25:58
Khishigasaikhan Galbadrakh (MGL) 2:26:32
Maggie Montoya (USA) 2:28:07
Katja Goldring (USA) 2:29:01
Savannah Berry (USA) 2:29:13
Men
Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:03:00
Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:03:36
Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:03:39
Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:04:23
Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:04:45
Addisu Gobena (ETH) 2:05:01
Abel Kipchumba (KEN) 2:06:49
Albert Korir (KEN) 2:06:57
Conner Mantz (USA) 2:07:47
Clayton Young (USA) 2:08:00
Rory Linkletter (CAN) 2:08:01
Callum Hawkins (GBR) 2:08:14
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (MGL) 2:08:50
Elkanah Kibet (USA) 2:09:07
Noah Droddy (USA) 2:09:09
Jonny Mellor (GBR) 2:09:09
Jared Ward (USA) 2:09:25
Colin Bennie (USA) 2:09:38
Futsum Zienasellassie (USA) 2:09:40
CJ Albertson (USA) 2:09:53
Nico Montanez (USA) 2:09:55
Yuma Morii (JPN) 2:09:59
