Olympic medalist Abdi Nageeye, Kibiwott Kandie and Kenenisa Bekele to clash in New York
World half marathon record holder, Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie is due for his maiden marathon at the New York City marathon on November 7 this year.
Kandie, the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships silver medallist, faces baptism by fire when he takes on Tokyo Olympic marathon silver medallist, Abdi Nageeye from the Netherlands, and two-time Berlin Marathon champion, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.
Kandie, who missed the Kenyan Olympic trials in 10,000m owing to an injury, holds the world half marathon record of 57:32 from 2020 Valencia.
Bekele has the fastest time in the star-studded field, having won the 2019 Berlin Marathon in 2:01:41, missing Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by two seconds.
Nageeye won the silver medal at the Olympic marathon in Sapporo this year, crossing the line in 2:09:58 behind Kipchoge.
The Somali-born Dutch runner was 11th at the Rio 2016 Olympic marathon and has finished in the top 10 at the Boston Marathon twice.
“For me, winning the silver medal in the Olympic Games was not a surprise,” Nageeye said. “There were many good athletes in the race, but I knew my preparation had been good. I was ready for the conditions, and most importantly I believed in myself.”
Nageeye said he will take that same focus into his preparations for New York, and that his belief and confidence in his abilities is even higher than it was at the Tokyo Olympics.
“There is nothing I want more than to bring a New York City victory back home along with my Olympic medal,” said Nageeye in a statement released by the race organizers on Thursday.
Bekele, a four-time Olympic medalist and 16-time world champion, will make his debut in the men’s open division.
“I am proud of the many accomplishments in my career, but I have never had the opportunity to compete in the New York City Marathon,” Bekele said. “I am excited that 2021 will be the year for me to make my attempt in New York.”
Leading the American men will be Rio 2016 Olympian Jared Ward, who has finished as the top American in the last two New York City Marathons.
Great Britain’s Callum Hawkins will also make his New York City Marathon debut.
Hawkins is a two-time Olympian who finished fourth at both the 2019 and 2017 World Championships in the marathon.
The 2019 New York City Marathon second and third-place finishers, Kenya’s Albert Korir and Ethiopia’s Girma Bekele Gebre will return in an attempt to repeat their podium performances, in addition to 2016 race winner Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea.
posted Friday August 20th
by Ayumba Ayodi