Running News Daily

Zdeno Chara Training For The New York City Marathon

With one Boston Marathon already on his resume, former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is now training to run in the 2023 New York City Marathon on Nov. 5.

Right up until the end of his 24-season NHL career, Chara left his teammates in astonishment at his daily workout regimen, and that discipline and passion to push his body to the limits has not waned.

With one Boston Marathon already on his resume, former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is now training to run in the 2023 New York City Marathon on Nov. 5.

Right up until the end of his 24-season NHL career, Chara left his teammates in astonishment at his daily workout regimen, and that discipline and passion to push his body to the limits has not waned.

“No,” Chara told The New York Post recently, “I didn’t take any kind of break. I kind of sustained the physical training. I was adding to my running, getting higher mileage, getting higher bike distances. And then at one point, I knew that I would like to talk to somebody who is more experienced and somebody who would be able to put me on maybe more specific programs to reach some of the goals I set for myself. And obviously marathons was one of them. Some triathlons, Ironmans would also be in my vision.”

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound future Hockey Hall of Famer finished the Boston Marathon in 3:38.23, and now in November, he’ll run the New York City Marathon in partnership with New Balance. However, the 46-year-old Chara has no plans on stopping there. He told The Post that he also plans on running marathons in Berlin, Tokyo, London, and Chicago.

“Finding the limit,” Chara said. “Sometimes you get into different mindsets and you learn about yourself a lot through these challenges, through these good runs, bad runs. It’s just, I don’t know how to really explain it, but it’s something that it’s teaching you something about yourself. And it’s a very humbling experience.”

Zdeno Chara is also becoming to not just running marathons but to the running community and support surrounding it.

“Being part of racing or being a part of some runs, it’s addictive,” the Boston Bruins legend said. “It’s something that you start and then it becomes something that you’re looking forward to the next one and then you want to be part of the next one. It’s something that draws me in.

You have spread out crowds throughout the races [that] number thousands of people and it’s electrifying. It’s unbelievable energy and it’s exciting. And then once you get to the finish, it’s super, super rewarding.”

Sharon Lokedi gearing up to defend her New York City Marathon title

The 2022 New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi is hungry to return to the streets of the Big Apple and defend her title on Sunday, November 5.

As a debutant during last year's edition of the event, Lokedi broke away from the leading pack and sprinted to the finish line to cut the tape in a time of 2:23:23.

She is plotting a grand return to the streets that gave her a breakthrough in athletics and repeat last year’s remarkable performance.

“Last year, I came into the TCS New York City Marathon with the goal of being in the thick of the race, and the result was better than I could have ever hoped for.

"This year, I’m returning with a different mindset, hungry to defend my title and race against the fastest women in the world,” she said as per the New York City Marathon race organizers.

This year, she intended to open her season at the Boston Marathon but had to pull out due to an injury.

The 29-year-old is yet to compete in any major races so far this year but she is sharpening her talons in preparation for the title defense.

She will not have an easy run since she will be up against some of the greatest marathoners the world has ever witnessed.

Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri will be in the race, for the second time after making her marathon debut on the same course last year where she finished sixth.

She has had a great season so far this year, losing only one race out of all the races she has competed in.

Former New York City Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will also be in action. She missed out on last year’s event due to an injury but she will be making a return with the hope of reclaiming her title.

British runner Andy Butchart is set to make his marathon debut

Andy Butchart is set to make his marathon debut later this year.

The Central AC double Olympian will race over 26.2 miles for the first at the New York City Marathon on Sunday 5 November.

Andy has a half marathon best of 62:58 which was set in New York back in March of this year.

Now he has been named in the elite field for the big one in the Big Apple in November and it will be great to see his progress as he effectively switches from the track to the road.

Andy has personal bests on the road so far of 14:04 for 5k, 28:05 for 10k and that sub-63 minutes run for the half marathon distance.

Loaded men's field for 2023 New York City Marathon announced

The field has six past event champions, including Chebet, two-time champion Geoffrey Kamworor, and World Championships medalist Maru Teferi.

Reigning New York City Marathon champion Evans Chebet will return to the streets of New York to defend his title on Sunday, November 5.

Chebet, a two-time Boston Marathon champion, has had one of the greatest seasons so far, starting by defeating world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge in the Boston Marathon earlier this year.

The Boston Marathon win is enough motivation for him to make history one more time when he competes against a loaded field in the former capital of the USA.

The field has six past event champions, including Chebet, two-time champion Geoffrey Kamworor, and World Championships medalist Maru Teferi.

Challenging Chebet will be Kamworor, an Olympian and three-time half marathon world champion who is looking to become only the third athlete to win three TCS New York City Marathon men’s open division titles. He won in both 2019 and 2017 and has made the podium in all four of his appearances.

The newly crowned World marathon silver medallist Teferi, two-time World silver medallist Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia, Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, and the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon champion Albert Korir of Kenya will also be in the mix to stop Chebet from winning back-to-back titles.

Two-time TCS New York City Marathon runner-up Shura Kitata of Ethiopia, North America’s marathon record-holder Cam Levins of Canada, and 2023 United Airlines NYC Half podium finisher Zouahir Talbi of Morocco will also toe the line.

Edward Cheserek, the most decorated athlete in NCAA history, will make his 26.2-mile debut, while the American contingent will be led by 2022 USATF Marathon champion Futsum Zienasellaissie and 2021 TCS New York City Marathon fourth-place finisher Elkanah Kibet.

Meanwhile, along with the previously announced TCS New York City women’s field, last year’s runner-up and two-time Olympian Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel and Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia will be back. 

Kenyans Edna Kiplagat and Olympian Viola Cheptoo will also return. Letesenbet Gidey and Yalemzerf Yehualaw will also line up for the first time.

Cam Levins to take on TCS New York City Marathon

Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins will be tackling the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 5, when the 34-year-old will go toe to toe against an extraordinarily deep field that includes defending champion Evans Chebet of Kenya.

This will be the first time Levins, who ran 2:05:36 at the Tokyo Marathon in March to break both the national and North American marathon records, takes on the 42.2-km distance in New York. The Black Creek, B.C., runner, who also holds the Canadan half-marathon record (60:18), ran the 2019 New York Half Marathon in 65:10 to place 18th.

Levins has broken the Canadian marathon record three times: first in 2018, then at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore., and again in Tokyo this year. Earlier this year he hinted he would plan on a hilly fall marathon as preparation for his overarching goal: the Paris Olympics.

This time he’ll be facing Kenya’s Chebet, who won the TCS New York City Marathon last year in 2:08:41, seven months after winning the Boston Marathon. He became the eighth man in history to win both races in the same year, and the first since 2011. Chebet already defended his Boston title earlier this year and has finished first or second in 13 marathons.

“I feel very confident as I begin my preparations to defend my TCS New York City Marathon title,” Chebet said. “I understand that nobody has won Boston and New York in back-to-back years since Bill Rodgers in the 1970’s, so making history will be my aim.”

Also challenging Levins will be Geoffrey Kamworor, a Kenyan Olympian and three-time half marathon world champion who is looking to become only the third athlete to win three TCS New York City Marathon men’s open division titles. He won in both 2019 and 2017, and has made the podium in all four of his appearances.

Others toeing the line will also include the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon silver medallist Maru Teferi, two-time World Championships silver medallist Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia, Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands (who finished third in New York last year), 2021 TCS New York City Marathon champion Albert Korir of Kenya, two-time TCS New York City Marathon runner-up Shura Kitata of Ethiopia and 2023 United Airlines NYC Half podium finisher Zouhair Talbi of Morocco.

Kenya’s Edward Cheserek–a former New Jersey high school phenom and the most decorated athlete in NCAA history–will make his 42.2-km debut, while the American contingent will be led by 2022 USATF marathon champion Futsum Zienasellaissie and 2021 TCS New York City Marathon fourth-place finisher Elkanah Kibet.

New York City Marathon has Changed Pregnancy Deferral Policy

This week, New York Road Runners (NYRR) updated the organization’s pregnancy and postpartum cancellation policy in an attempt to become a “more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and socially responsible organization.” The Boston Marathon changed its pregnancy policy in January, and the London Marathon did so in 2022. Chicago and Berlin have also similar policies in place.

The guidelines and procedures section of the website details how the new policy works for NYRR’s three marquee events with race drawings: the Brooklyn Half, NYC Half, and New York City Marathon. In partnership with the advocacy organization &Mother, NYRR will allow athletes registered for any of those three races an opportunity to cancel their entry if they become pregnant or are postpartum.

“Pregnant or postpartum athletes will receive non-complimentary guaranteed entry for one of the next three subsequent NYRR races for which they originally registered,” the policy states.

So if, for example, an athlete is registered for the 2023 New York City Marathon and their cancellation request is approved, they can choose to register for the 2024, 2025, or 2026 marathon.

According to the rules, “If an athlete has been approved for a Pregnancy and Postpartum Cancellation, they do not need to state which year they intend to claim guaranteed entry for. The athlete will receive non-complimentary guaranteed entry for the next year, and if they do not claim the guaranteed entry, it will automatically roll over into the following year until the three year guaranteed entry period is complete.”

To be eligible for a Pregnancy and Postpartum Cancellation, athletes only need to meet one of three criteria: they will be pregnant at the time of the race they are registered for, they will be postpartum (defined as one year following the birth of a child) at the time of the race they are registered for, or the entrant had been pregnant and experienced pregnancy loss up to six months prior to the race they were registered for.

Entrants must be officially registered for the event they are requesting a cancellation for, and the policy requires that they cancel their entry on their NYRR account and request a cancellation via support request by no later than 11:59 p.m. the night before the scheduled event date. NYRR requires entrants to fill out a medical authorization form and have it signed by a physician, registered midwife, or other licensed health care provider.

World record holder Brigid Kosgei excited ahead of New York Marathon debut

Brigid is set to showcase her prowess in the New York Marathon as she joins an elite lineup of champions for an exhilarating head-to-head competition.

World marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei is all set to grace the grand stage of the New York Marathon for the very first time on Sunday 5 November.

The anticipation is palpable as she readies herself to compete against an elite field of fellow Kenyan athletes, including defending champion Sharon Lokedi, Peres Jepchichir, and Hellen Obiri. 

With an impressive track record in her arsenal, Kosgei is bubbling with excitement about the opportunity to add another Major title to her name.

The 29-year-old women's marathon world record holder is no stranger to pushing her limits. 

"I am not worried about the course, as I have had success in hilly marathons before," she remarks. 

Kosgei acknowledges the challenge posed by her fellow competitors and emphasizes the importance of being in peak form to vie for victory.

Last year's champion, Sharon Lokedi, made an impressive marathon debut by clocking a time of 2:23:23. 

Meanwhile, Hellen Obiri clinched victory at the Boston Marathon earlier this year in only her second attempt at the distance.

Peres Jepchichir, the reigning Olympic and 2021 New York City champion, boasts an unparalleled track record. Yet, it's Kosgei who stands out on paper with her astounding personal best of 2:14:04.

The upcoming New York Marathon is set to create history as the reigning champions from the TCS New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon, and Olympics, along with the world-record holder, line up in a thrilling face-off.

 The clash of titans promises an unforgettable race that will be etched in the annals of marathon history.

Hellen Obiri, a decorated athlete with two Olympic medals and seven individual world championships medals, stands as a testament to consistent excellence.

Her recent triumph at the Boston Marathon underscores her adaptability and prowess in tackling new challenges.

Jepchichir, on the other hand, boasts a unique feat of winning the Olympic marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. 

With two world championships gold medals in the half marathon, she is a force to be reckoned with.

In the midst of these formidable competitors, Brigid Kosgei radiates determination. "I am very excited to make my New York City debut this fall, and attempt to win my fourth different Major."

Sharon Lokedi, Hellen Obiri, Peres Jepchirchir and Brigid Kosgei to Race 2023 TCS New York City Marathon

Defending TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, reigning Boston Marathon and United Airlines NYC Half champion Hellen Obiri, Olympic gold medalist and 2021 TCS New York City Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, and marathon world-record holder Brigid Kosgei will headline the women’s professional athlete field at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 5.

When the four Kenyans line up in New York, it will be the first time in event history the reigning TCS New York City Marathon champion, Boston Marathon champion, Olympic champion, and world-record holder line up against each other in the TCS New York City Marathon.

Lokedi won the TCS New York City Marathon in her marathon debut last year, pulling away in the final two miles to finish in 2:23:23 and became the eighth athlete to win the race in their true 26.2-mile debut. In preparation for the marathon, Lokedi had raced the United Airlines NYC Half and the Mastercard New York Mini 10K, finishing fourth and second, respectively, in those races.

“Last year, I came into the TCS New York City Marathon with the goal of being in the thick of the race, and the result was better than I could have ever hoped for,” Lokedi said. “This year, I’m returning with a different mindset, hungry to defend my title and race against the fastest women in the world.”

Obiri is a two-time Olympic medalist and seven-time world championships individual medalist who earlier this year won the Boston Marathon in her second-ever attempt at the distance, in addition to winning the United Airlines NYC Half in her event debut. Obiri holds the Kenyan record for 3,000 meters and represented Kenya at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, earning silver medals in the 5,000 meters at both. In her marathon debut last year in New York, she finished sixth.

“With a year of marathon experience now under my belt, a win in Boston, and my move to the U.S., I’m coming to New York this year with more confidence and in search of a title,” Obiri said. “I’m excited to show the people of New York what I’m capable of and that my win at the United Airlines NYC Half in March was just the beginning.”

Jepchirchir is the only athlete to have won the Olympic marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. She is also a two-time world championships gold medalist in the half marathon. In 2021, she won the Tokyo Olympic marathon to claim Kenya’s second consecutive gold medal in the event. Four months later, she won the TCS New York City Marathon, finishing in 2:22:39, the third-fastest time in event history and eight seconds off the event record. In April 2022, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, she fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh to take the Boston Maraton title on Boylston Street in her debut in the race in 2:21:02. This April, she recorded another podium finish, taking third at the TCS London Marathon.

“I was so disappointed that I couldn’t defend my title in New York last year due to an injury, and winning again in Central Park has been my main motivation as I begin my preparations for the autumn,” Jepchirchir said. “New York is an important step in defending my Olympic gold medal next summer in Paris, and I will do my best to make my family and my country proud.”

Kosgei is the world-record holder in the marathon and has won an Olympic silver medal and five Abbott World Marathon Majors races; she will now make her TCS New York City Marathon debut. In 2019, Kosgei broke Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old world record by 81 seconds, running 2:14:04 to win the Chicago Marathon. It was her second Chicago Marathon victory, as she’d also won in 2018. Additionally, she won back-to-back London Marathons in 2019 and 2020, the Tokyo Marathon in 2022, and the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic marathon.

“I am very excited to make my New York City debut this fall, and attempt to win my fourth different Major,” Kosgei said. “I am not worried about the course, as I have had success in hilly marathons before, but New York has always been about head-to-head competition, and I know I must be in the best possible shape to compete with the other women in the race.”

The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon women’s professional athlete field is presented by Mastercard®. The full professional athlete fields will be announced at a later date.

The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 5 will have 50,000 runners and be televised live on WABC-TV Channel 7 in the New York tristate area, throughout the rest of the nation on ESPN2, and around the world by various international broadcasters.

TCS New York City Marathon Launches New Brand Campaign and Logo

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has unveiled its new brand campaign and logo for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon that takes place on November 5. The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the city’s most anticipated and iconic annual sporting events, attracting runners and spectators of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities from around the world. Last year, the marathon made its triumphant return to full capacity with nearly 50,000 runners.

“The TCS New York City Marathon is unlike any other marathon – it is the biggest, the boldest, and the most diverse,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO, NYRR. “As NYRR embarks on its next chapter, the organization has created a new dynamic brand identity and campaign aimed to match the emotions and energy the marathon brings each year.”

To launch NYRR into the next generation, the organization worked with renowned brand consultancy Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv to create a new brand identity. The new design and visual identity strengthen the logo by making it simpler and bolder. It keeps the conceptual origins but evolves and modernizes its visual aesthetic. In this updated design, the stripes of the five boroughs converge into Lady Liberty, and the colors reflect the official flag of New York.

In alignment with the brand identity, NYRR tapped creative agency YARD NYC to enhance and set the stage for its new campaign, which elevates the iconic “It Will Move You” campaign by establishing a new focus on the entirety of the marathon, not only the runners, but also the unique, interconnected roles everyone plays. By broadening the aperture of “It Will Move You,” the campaign conveys the indescribable feelings the day imprints each year, and illustrates how every action, big or small, builds a crescendo toward race day.

The new brand campaign and identity will launch in conjunction with the start of the participant journey when runners start applying for entry to the marathon.

The application for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon entry drawing includes the following dates:

Important Dates for Runners

February 8: Application for the entry drawing opens at 12:00 p.m. ET

February 22: Application window closes at 11:59 p.m. ET

March 1: Drawing takes place and runners are notified of their status

If runners do not receive entry through the drawing, they can still obtain entry to the TCS New York City Marathon through the methods outlined at this link. For more information and to apply for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, visit tcsnycmarathon.org.

Korir says hot conditions slowed him at New York Marathon

lbert Korir has cited unfavorable weather conditions as the reason behind his 'poor' display at the 2022 New York Marathon.

Korir, the defending champion heading into Sunday's race, finished a distant seventh in 2:13:27 in a race won by compatriot Evans Chebet — the Boston Marathon champion — in 2:08:41.

In a post on his Instagram page, Korir said he was in great shape heading to New York, having trained adequately for the race but could not master the strength on d-day.

“I had gone there win one target — to win the race again. I felt great and I had prepared well. During the race, my legs felt great, my body was good and fit,” Korir wrote.

However, things took a wrong turn at the 31.2km mark when he started feeling the heat.

“At the Willis Avenue Bridge, I felt the heat of the day. The power in my body slowly disappeared, nevertheless the mental power remained unchanged,” the post read.

Korir said he struggled all the way to the finish line at the same time wishing the temperatures would have been lower.

“I battled through to the finish. I wished the temperatures would change because I am way better in colder circumstances,” Korir said.

However, he said he has since recovered from the rigours and will take a deserved rest before embarking on his next assignement.

Aliphine Tuliamuk says the weather at the NYC marathon was not as bad as she expected as she finished first American in 7th place

It did not take long for Aliphine Tuliamuk to find air conditioning after finishing seventh as the top American in the warmest New York City Marathon since 1985.

She picked up her giggling 21-month-old daughter, Zoe, and placed her face directly in front of the cool air.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think it was actually as bad as I expected,” Tuliamuk said of the temperature, which reached 73 degrees when she crossed the Central Park finish line. “I was on point with my hydration.”

She clocked a personal-best 2:26:18, despite ankle swelling hampering her build up. She estimated that she only had five weeks of training before taking the last two weeks to taper.

“I excel when the conditions are not perfect,” she said. “I rise to the occasion, and I believe that today that was the case.”

Seventh was the lowest placing for the top American woman in New York City since 2015, when Laura Thweatt also finished seventh.

“I remember going into the race thinking, if I could get top seven, that would be really good,” Tuliamuk said. “I obviously wanted more.”

Tuliamuk is beginning to turn her attention to the Olympic Trials in the first quarter of 2024 at a to-be-announced site.

She plans on running a spring 2023 marathon, which could be her final marathon before trials, where the top three are expected to make up the team for the Paris Games.

“Once the [trials] schedule is out,” she said, “we’ll work backwards from that.

“I think that next Olympic team is going to be really, really hard to make.”

Tuliamuk identified Emma Bates, Keira D’Amato, Molly Seidel and Emily Sisson as her toughest competition. Sisson broke the American record at October’s Chicago Marathon, clocking 2:18:29 to lower D’Amato’s record from Jan. 16 by 43 seconds. Seidel claimed the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

“There’s so many Americans right now that are doing amazing,” Tuliamuk said. “It’s like you just have to have a perfect day.”

Tuliamuk made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. She did not finish the race, seven months after she gave birth.

“I really want to make the next Olympic team,” she said. “The last one, the pandemic and having a child, I never really got to represent my country the way I wanted it.”

Tuliamuk will be 35 in 2024. The U.S. Olympic women’s marathon team included a 35-year-old at three of the last four Games.

“I really want a medal for my country,” she said. “I think that I have a lot of running in me. I have a lot of speed.”

Bates, 30, finished 35 seconds behind Tuliamuk for eighth place on Sunday.

“Those hills were a lot harder than I imagined,” said Bates, who revealed that she did not look at the course map before the race.

Bates wore a matching snake ring and earrings as she made her New York City debut, one year after placing second at the Chicago Marathon.

“I think I’m going to take some more risks next time,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll do better next time. I want to be top five.”

It was a big 48 hours for Bates, who was inducted into the Boise State Hall of Fame on Friday. She planned on celebrating with a Modelo beer.

Tuliamuk envisioned a tamer celebration, including showing Zoe around Central Park and other tourist attractions.

“I’m really grateful that I’m able to do all of it,” she said. “I’m able to run at the very highest level of our sport and be a mom at the same time.”

Ashton Kutcher ran well in his New York City Marathon debut

The 2022 NYC Marathon champion, Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, wasn’t the only runner who had a successful marathon debut in New York City; Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher led the way for celebrities, smashing his goal of sub-four while raising over a million dollars for his charity, Team Thorn. 

The That 70s Show actor, 44, joined 50,000 other athletes to run in the prestigious marathon through the streets of the Big Apple, finishing in 3:54:01. He mentioned to the media before the race that his A goal was to finish and raise one million dollars for Thorn, and his B goal was to break the four-hour barrier. 

His charity, Thorn, is a non-profit tech company that helps prevent the sexual exploitation of children online.

Kutcher reached the halfway mark in 1:51:19, and in rookie fashion, positively split the second half in 2:02:42. He also relied on some stylish purple and pink Nike Alphafly’s to help his performance.

The former star of The Bachelor, Matt James, was the top celebrity finisher in 3:46:45, smashing his previous personal best. James was paced by 2017 NYC champion Shalane Flanagan as the pair went through the halfway mark in 1:29-high and rode the pain train over the final 13 miles.

Meghan Duggan was the only other celebrity to break the four-hour barrier, crossing the finish line in 3:52:06. Duggan is an Olympian who played hockey for Team USA at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 winter Olympics, winning two silvers and a gold. Duggan is currently the director of player development for the New Jersey Devils.

The former first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, returned to the NYC Marathon after making her debut in 2021. Clinton finished the race 20 minutes shy of her previous time, in 4:20:34. Her parents, President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were on hand at the finish line to cheer her on as she finished. She ran the race on behalf of a food non-profit charity called City Harvest, which helps the city of New York with food insecurity.

New York Giants former running back Tiki Barber, 47, continued his streak, running his eighth consecutive New York City Marathon. He finished in 5:26:51.

The Kenyan duo won the elite races in 2:23:23 and 2:08:41 at the NYC Marathon having to make up significant ground on the long-time leaders

Sharon Lokedi displayed remarkable discipline to win the TCS New York City Marathon on her debut at the distance, while Evans Chebet’s patience paid off to win the men’s contest at the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race on Sunday March 6.

Lokedi flew under the radar heading into the women’s race as most of the focus was on world champion Gotytom Gebreslase, two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri, who was making her marathon debut, and world bronze medallist Lonah Chemtai Salpeter.

All four women featured in the large lead pack for the first half of the race as they passed through 10km in a conservative 34:24 before reaching the half-way point in 1:12:17. A few kilometres later, the pack had been whittled down to eight women, with two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat among them.

By 30km, however, three women had broken away from the rest of the field as Gebreslase, Obiri and Kenya’s Viola Cheptoo reached that checkpoint 1:42:27. At that point, Salpeter, Lokedi and Kiplagat were in a five-woman chase pack about 11 seconds adrift.

A few kilometres later, Salpeter and Lokedi caught the lead trio, then Cheptoo began to fade. It left Obiri, Gebreslase, Lokedi and Salpeter as the only four women in contention as they raced through Central Park in the closing stages.

Of those four, Obiri was the first to fall back, but she was far enough into the race to know that her debut marathon would not be a bad one. Somewhat surprisingly, Gebreslase was the next to slip out of contention, the world champion resigning herself to the third step on the podium.

It then left Salpeter and Lokedi to duel for the victory and for a moment it seemed as though Salpeter was the more comfortable. But with one mile to go, Lokedi dug deep and started to pull away from the Israeli runner.

Lokedi reached the finish line in 2:23:23 to win by seven seconds from Salpeter. Gebreslase took third place in 2:23:39 with Kiplagat, nine days shy of her 43rd birthday, coming through to take fourth place in 2:24:16 – more than four minutes quicker than her winning time in this race in 2010.

Cheptoo held on for fifth place in 2:25:34 and Obiri finished sixth in 2:25:49. Olympian Aliphine Tuliamuk was the top US finisher in seventh, 2:26:18.

“It was amazing,” said the US-based Lokedi. “I came in just wanting to be in the thick of the race. I knew I was strong and had really good training, so I wanted to go in and put myself in it and see where I ended up. I expected to run well, but it ended up being an even better outcome than I had hoped for.”

The men’s race played out quite differently, as South American record-holder Daniel Do Nascimento made an early break from the rest of the field.

The Brazilian led by 97 seconds at 10km, reached in 28:42 – just two seconds slower than his 10,000m track PB – and went on to reach half way in 1:01:22, more than two minutes ahead of the rest of the field and well inside course record pace.

A six-man chase pack – which included Chebet, Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye, and 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata – went through the half-way point in a more comfortable 1:03:35.

Do Nascimento continued to lead, although his lead started to wane – especially when he had to briefly take a visit to one of the road-side portable toilets. He passed through 30km in 1:29:09, now just over a minute ahead of Chebet, who had broken away from the rest of the chasers. By 20 miles, Do Nascimento’s lead was down to just 40 seconds. Not long after, and clearly struggling, he stopped running and crashed to the ground.

While medics helped Do Nascimento, Chebet cruised past. The Kenyan, who had won the Boston Marathon earlier this year, found himself with a 30-second lead over a three-man chasing group which included Kitata and Nageeye.

Despite a strong finish from Kitata, Chebet managed to hold on to the lead and crossed the finish line in 2:08:41. Kitata followed 13 seconds later, while Nageeye took third place in 2:10:31.

“The race was hard for me, but I was thankful for my team and have so much gratitude toward my coach,” Chebet said. “My team gave me motivation and I know that after winning Boston I could come to New York and also do well.”

Leading results

Women

1 Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2:23:232 Lonah Salpeter (ISR) 2:23:303 Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:23:394 Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:24:165 Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:25:346 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:25:497 Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:26:188 Emma Bates (USA) 2:26:539 Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:27:2710 Nell Rojas (USA) 2:28:32

Men

1 Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:08:412 Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:08:543 Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:10:314 Mohamed El Aaraby (MAR) 2:11:005 Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:11:316 Tetsuya Yoroizaka (JPN) 2:12:127 Albert Korir (KEN) 2:13:278 Daniele Meucci (ITA) 2:13:299 Scott Fauble (USA) 2:13:3510 Reed Fischer 2:15:23

2022 New York City Marathon Sharon Lokedi and Evans Chebet Complete a Kenyan Sweep

In record heat for November, Kenyans dominate the New York City Marathon.

Evans Chebet was among the runners who watched as Daniel do Nascimento separated himself from the rest of the men’s field at the New York City Marathon on Sunday. Do Nascimento, a 24-year-old Brazilian who is known for being — what is the word? — assertive, was a blur as he surged into the lead, then a speck off in the distance, and then gone from view entirely.

Chebet, a soft-spoken Kenyan who arrived in New York having already won the Boston Marathon this year, opted to exercise patience. Sure enough, as he approached the 21st mile of Sunday’s race, he saw do Nascimento again: face down by the side of the road, being tended to by medical personnel.

“I felt bad for him,” Chebet said in Swahili through a translator, “but I had to continue the race.”

On an unseasonably warm day, Chebet survived both the conditions and the competition, winning in 2 hours 8 minutes 41 seconds to complete a clean sweep for Kenyan men in all six of the world marathon majors this year. Chebet, 33, did his part by winning two of them — and two of the toughest. Of course, considering what Chebet had done in Boston, no one was surprised to see him tackle New York with great composure.

“Boston was actually harder,” said Chebet, who wore his laurel wreath to his news conference.

The women’s finish was much more unexpected. Sharon Lokedi, a Kenyan who raced in college at Kansas, was fearless in her marathon debut, breaking free from a celebrated field to win in 2:23:23.“Perfect weather for me,” said Lokedi, 28, who splits her time between Kenya and Flagstaff, Ariz., where she trains with the Under Armour-sponsored Dark Sky Distance group. “I didn’t expect to win. I expected to run well. But it ended up being a good outcome.”

Lokedi left an all-star cast in her wake. Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, a Kenyan-born Israeli who arrived in New York with the fastest time in the field, finished second. Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia, the reigning world champion, was third. Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, who, at 42, is one of the world’s most decorated marathoners, was fourth. And Viola Cheptoo of Kenya, last year’s runner-up, was fifth.

“It was hot, but I was really prepared,” said Lokedi, who was the N.C.A.A. champion in the 10,000 meters in 2018. “I picked up water at every station to pour on myself.”Do Nascimento, who set a South American record when he finished third in the Seoul Marathon this year in 2:04:51, was the story in New York for much of the morning — until it all began to go poorly for him. Easily recognizable in his lavender tights and space-age sunglasses, he built a two-minute lead more than halfway through the race. But others in the field had seen him try that sort of bold strategy before.In brutal conditions at the Tokyo Olympics last year, do Nascimento was among the leaders when he collapsed in scenes that were vaguely horrifying and was forced to withdraw.

On Sunday, his superhuman pace was beginning to slow when he pulled off the course for an 18-second pit stop at a portable toilet. He emerged with his lead intact, albeit narrower, but it was clear that he was in trouble. About six miles short of the finish, he sank to the pavement and was forced to abandon the race.

“I want to feel sorry for him when I saw him on the ground,” said Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, who finished third. “But I was like, ‘Come on, man, this is the second time. You did that in the Olympics.’ ”

A spokesman for the marathon said do Nascimento was recovering at his hotel.

It was not an easy day for anyone. Galen Rupp, a two-time Olympic medalist who was making his long-awaited New York debut, dropped out about 18 miles into the race with a hip injury. And Shura Kitata of Ethiopia, who finished second behind Chebet, lumbered onto the stage for his news conference as if his legs were made of concrete. A race official handed Kitata a giant bag of ice, which he placed on his thighs.“It was very hot,” he said through a translator, “and that made it very tough.”

It was the warmest marathon on record since the race was moved to its traditional early November date in 1986. The temperature in Central Park was 73 degrees Fahrenheit at 11 a.m., shortly before the elite runners began to cross the finish line.

Scott Fauble, 31, was the top American on the men’s side, finishing ninth — a solid result coming the morning after he signed a new sponsorship deal with Nike. Fauble, who was also the top American finisher at the Boston Marathon this year, had been without a sponsor for months.

After agreeing to terms on a contract at dinner on Saturday night, Fauble took an Uber to the Nike store in Manhattan to pick up sneakers. The rest of his racing gear arrived at his hotel later that night.

“It’s quite a rush to get your singlet for the next day at 10 p.m. the night before the race,” he said.

On the women’s side, three Americans finished in the top 10. Aliphine Tuliamuk was seventh, Emma Bates was eighth and Nell Rojas was 10th. Tuliamuk, 33, who won the marathon at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2020 and gave birth to her daughter, Zoe, in January 2021, had not raced in a marathon since she injured herself at the Tokyo Games last year. On Sunday, she finished in a personal-best time of 2:26:18.

“I think that I excel when the conditions are not perfect,” Tuliamuk said. “I rise to the occasion, and I believe that today that was the case.”

Still, she had to overcome some adversity. In early September, she said, she experienced swelling in one of her ankles that forced her to take a couple of weeks off from training.

“In the back of my mind, I wished that I had a few more weeks” to train, she said. “But I also decided to focus on gratitude because I didn’t know that I was going to be here. And the fact that I was able to put in some solid training and had a chance to be competitive, I was just very grateful for that.”Gina Gregorio always watches the race from the corner of Warren Street and Fourth Avenue. This year she held signs that read, “Run to the Polls.”

“I love it when we’re right before the election because we can actually ask people to get out to vote, and it’s like nonpartisan, although I have had partisan signs before because I feel like it’s a great place to have your voice heard,” Gregorio said.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's TCS New York City Marathon

The world’s top marathoners have assembled in NYC for the 51st running of the TCS New York City Marathon this Sunday, Nov 6. The 2022 race returns to full capacity of 50,000 runners with a stacked field of elites in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair events. Defending champion Albert Korir of Kenya returns to defend the men’s title across the five boroughs and 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia headlines the women’s field. 

How to watch:

Unless you live on the west coast, the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon will be easy to stream and follow online. The professional women’s field will begin at 8:40 a.m. E.T. and the professional men’s field at 9:05 a.m. E.T. Viewers should note that Daylight Savings Time ends in the early hours of Sunday morning, so viewers need to remember to change their clocks back an hour.

Follow @CanadianRunning on Twitter for live tweets and up-to-date news on the 2022 TCS NYC Marathon. 

Women’s elite field

At only 27, Ethiopia’s Gebreslase has achieved much success in the marathon. In 2021, she won Berlin in her debut and followed it up with a podium finish at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon and world championship gold in Eugene this past July. Gebreslase put her talent on display in Eugene, showing that she can run at a fast pace and hold her own against the world’s best marathoners. She will be the likely favourite to win NYC Sunday.

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter is the fastest woman in the field, with a personal best of 2:17:45 from the 2020 Tokyo Marathon. Salpeter was close to an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2020 but hit a wall late and ended-up 66th. She finally got her hands on a bronze medal in Eugene this summer but was bested by Gebreslase in a late surge. Since worlds and European championships earlier this summer, Salpeter has taken some downtime to prepare for a bid at her second Abbott World Marathon Major title in NYC.

Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat will also be one to watch, with the 2011 and 2013 marathon world champion hoping to extend her record of four World Marathon Major wins to five (Boston 2021, 2017, New York 2010, and London 2014). Kiplagat was awarded the 2021 Boston Marathon title after her compatriot Diana Kipyokei was disqualified due to a positive doping test. 

Many fans of the sport have long awaited the marathon debut of two-time 5,000m Olympic medallist and world champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya. She has gone through a lot of transition this year, switching training groups and moving from Kenya to Boulder, Colo., after worlds to train with On Athletics Club (OAC). It will be interesting to see how the speedy 14:18 5K runner can handle the hilly NYC course, but she could be a dark horse for the win.  

Outside of the top big names, the U.S. will be well represented in NYC by former national record holder Keira D’Amato, who ran both the 2022 Berlin Marathon and World Championships only eight weeks apart, and Aliphine Tuliamuk, who won U.S. marathon Olympic Trials in 2020 and holds a personal best of 2:26:50.

Canadian Running prediction: Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) – 2:21:42 *CR*

Men’s elite field

Kenya’s Korir has a tough job ahead of him on Sunday as he aims to defend his 2021 NYC Marathon title. In his two trips to the Big Apple, Korir has achieved a lot of success. In 2019, he finished runner-up to his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in 2:08:36, then followed it up with a win and 14-second course PB (2:08:22) in 2021 for his first world major win. One thing Korir has going for him is that he is consistent. In his last six of eight races, Korir has dipped under the 2:10-mark, which is a speedy time for New York’s hilly course. 

Korir will face stiff competition from his Kenyan compatriot, 2022 Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, who will be hoping for a second major marathon win of the year. Chebet, 33, holds the fastest time in the field of 2:03-flat from the 2020 Valencia Marathon.

Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata will be another name to look out for, having finished second in 2018. Since his 2020 win at the London Marathon, Kitata has struggled to reach the podium in his last three races. His last race came in March, where he was sixth at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon in 2:06:12 for fifth. Can Kitata bounce back in NYC?

Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands was second to Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon at the 2022 Olympics and set the Dutch national record of 2:04:56 at the Rotterdam Marathon in April. Nageeye has shown he has the experience to be there late, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the course in his debut.

The U.S. men’s field in New York is one of its best in years, with five sub-2:09 marathoners. The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, Galen Rupp, will make his NYC debut and lead the way for the Americans with a personal best of 2:06:07. Leonard Korir (2:07:56), Scott Fauble (2:08:52), and Marty Hehir (2:08:59) are three others to keep your eye on. Fauble had a sensational run at the 2022 Boston Marathon, where he placed seventh in a personal best time of 2:08:52.

Canadian Running prediction: Evans Chebet (KEN) – 2:07:43

Viola Lagat will be heading to the New York City Marathon for the second time hoping to improve on her second place finish in last year’s race

Viola Cheptoo Lagat, the younger sister of Kenyan-born US distance running legend Bernard Lagat had set base for the last three months in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

This Sunday’s race in the “Big Apple” will be her third over the marathon distance.

“Last year, it was a dream come true because I was debuting in the marathon and coming in second alongside such great athletes competing was just amazing. It gave me a reason to continue working hard,” said Lagat.

She did not change her training programme but wants to lower her personal best time.

Obiri makes debut

Other Kenyans lining up at Central Park on Sunday will be two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Grace Kahura and Hellen Obiri. Obiri, a two-time world 5,000 metres champion and twice Olympic silver medallist over the distance, will be making her marathon debut.

“Competing with a great name like Edna Kiplagat is an inspiration. I’m still young in marathon because I need to know what time should I react and what time I should increase my pace compared to her who has done more races, she is sure of what she is doing,” Lagat added.

Lagat has good memories of last year’s race hailing Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir for pushing her to the podium at Central Park.

“I started slow in the race, but the most amazing thing is that my body started reacting well and I surged forward steadily and, to my surprise, I managed to get to where Jepchirchir was. She asked me if the pace she was doing was fine with me and I told her I was comfortable. She really encouraged me,” explained Lagat.

Tips from Keitany

Lagat has also been taking notes from four-time New York Marathon champion Mary Keitany who has been giving her tips on how to overcome the tough New York course.

Lagat started her 2022 season with a sixth place in Boston Marathon in April, her preparations affected by a bout of Covid-19 which slowed her training.

“When I started my training in January, I had difficulty. I just trained for two months and that affected my performance in April,” she said.

Lagat has planned with her coach to attack the Abott Marathon Majors series which, besides New York, also features the London, Tokyo, Berlin and Chicago marathons.

“I would like to ask Kenyans and all our fans to always pray for us as we line up for the race. Personally, I’m doing this for Peres Jepchirchir who pulled out of the race due to injury. We are praying for her to heal as soon as possible,” said Lagat who is a former 1,500 meters specialist.

She ranks Obiri as the dark horse, arguing that anyone making a debut is capable of upsetting the applecart.

USA-based Grace Kahura eyes ‘home’ win in New York

Sunday’s New York City Marathon will be a largely Kenyan affair.

Even after the withdrawal of the defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, the field remains open with another Kenyan almost certain to keep the title in the country.

Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat leads her compatriots Viola Lagat, who was second last year, Grace Kahura, who finished ninth, and debutant Hellen Obiri.

Kahura will be competing in the “Big Apple” for the second time this year, seeking to improve on her personal best time of two hours, 30 minutes and 32 seconds.

She might not be as well known as the other elite athletes, but she’ll enjoy the advantage of training in Colorado, USA, in perfect pre-race conditions.

Kahura told Nation Sport from her US base recently that she has been preparing for the race in the last four months without any hitches. “The marathon is tough, but I have prepared well and my target is to compete well during the race because I don’t want to mess my body for I know my fitness levels,” said Kahura.

She also said that competing in New York Marathon for the second time is an honour and that she is still in the learning process.

“The New York Marathon course is tough… I used to watch athletes compete in the race and it used to be so windy so I entered last year prepared and I’m glad it wasn’t that bad.

“When going for such race, you have to be prepared for anything because challenges might arise and you have to face them,” she said.

Competing with one of the greatest marathoners of all time, Edna Kiplagat, has also motivated her to even work harder.

“I watched Kiplagat competing while in primary school and competing with her in the same race now has really inspired me.

“My joy is interacting with her as she is full of wisdom and always has good advice on how to be world beater,” she added.

Kahura joined Colorado’s Boulder University in 2016 and graduated last year in Business and Accounting but wants to focus on being a professional athlete.

She was born in Kanjeru in Kiambu County on April 5, 1993, and went to Ngure Primary School and later Kanjeru Girls High School where she sat her exams in 2011.

It is here that her coach, John Mwithiga, popularly known as “warm-up”, took her to a camp where she started training as she waited for a chance to join university. At the University of Colorado, her focus was on education and she only started training seriously after she graduated.

While in school, she competed in Utica Boilmaker 15-kilometre road race where she finished 10th in 2016, before coming in seventh at the Indianapolis One America Festival Mini Marathon the same year.

From then on, she has competed in various races including Grandma’s Marathon in 2018 and 2021 where she finished fourth on both occasions.

She has been training on her own, but under the guidance of Owen Anderson, her American agent whom she says has been sending her training programmes to help her prepare for elite races.

Hockey player captain Meghan Duggan set for NYC Marathon

Meghan Duggan entered the year having never run more than two miles at a time.

“In hockey,” she said, “it was really a no-no to do any type of long endurance training.”

Now the three-time Olympic medalist is in her final preparations to race Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

“It’s opened up a whole new world to what my body can go through,” she said.

Duggan, who retired from hockey in 2020 after captaining the U.S. to the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, decided to make her 26.2-mile debut to raise awareness for the Women’s Sports Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Billie Jean King in 1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through sports.

In addition to serving as Women’s Sports Foundation president, Duggan is the New Jersey Devils director of player development and a mother of two.

Juggling so many responsibilities, the 35-year-old occasionally got out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to do long runs before her kids woke up. Or, she did them on the treadmill at night after her kids went to sleep.

“I’ve had to be flexible as we all do in life,” she said.

Duggan’s two children, George and Olivia, are her biggest cheerleaders.

During training runs, Duggan’s wife, Canadian Olympic hockey champion Gillian Apps, pulled the kids in a bike trailer as they clapped and screamed, “run mamma run!” Duggan often finds George running laps around the house yelling “marathon, marathon!”

“It’s important for me to show my kids you can do hard things,” Duggan said.

Duggan is planning to race alongside Haley Skarupa, a gold medal-winning teammate at the 2018 Winter Games. Erika Lawler, a 2010 Olympic silver medalist hockey player, also planned on running the race until she suffered an injury.

“Hockey players aren’t really meant to be runners,” Duggan said, “but I think that’s why Haley and I are so excited to do it.”

Duggan has not been shy in seeking advice. At the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Salute to Women in Sports ceremony last month, she cornered Jocelyn Rivas, the youngest person to run 100 marathons, and Alysia Montaño, a U.S. Olympic 800m runner who made worldwide headlines for racing while eight months pregnant at the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships.

“It’s certainly made me really respect other sports and what goes into it,” Duggan said. “Not that I didn’t before, but I never had the opportunity to put myself in the shoes of another athlete in a different sport. This is kind of my first time, and it’s been eye-opening and enjoyable.”

Duggan’s goal is to complete the 26.2 miles in under four hours.

“I think it’s a realistic goal,” Duggan said. “That’s something that is not easy to do and will be incredibly challenging, but I think even just the accountability of saying it out loud makes it that much more exciting.”

This might not be the last marathon for Duggan, who grew up in Danvers, Mass.

“I’ve had a lot of friends run [the Boston Marathon],” she said. “I would love to do that, but I’m going to get through this one first, and then we’ll see.”

Hellen Obiri Wants To Win NYC In Her Marathon Debut

After earning a silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July, Hellen Obiri was already looking toward the next big thing: making her 26.2-mile debut at the 2022 New York City Marathon.

Racing in New York was always her main goal for 2022, even though she made a late decision to compete on the track at the world championships. Immediately after her September 11 win at the Great North Run in northeast England, Obiri finally made her long-planned move from Ngong, Kenya to Boulder, Colorado, to start training with the On Athletics Club under three-time Olympian and coach Dathan Ritzenhein.

Obiri’s agent and former coach, Ricky Simms, worked with Ritzenhein to plan out her training for the Great North Run and the New York City Marathon as she made the move, and although she’s only been training in her new environment for nearly two months, she has proven to be adjusting nicely to the transition.

“Everyone has been very welcoming and the training environment is perfect; training is very similar to Kenya,” Obiri says. “I think it will be a good place for my daughter to grow up. The biggest challenge has been being away from my family, as I am missing them a lot. They have not been able to come as they do not yet have U.S. visas.”

So far, due to most of her teammates having been on vacation after the track season, Obiri, 32, has mainly trained with Ritzenhein, who either accompanies her on her training runs or leads her on a bike, and fellow countrywoman Edna Kiplagat, a two-time marathon world champion who has been living in Boulder for a decade and who will also be racing in New York.

“Every day, I show up and wonder how Hellen is going to amaze me that day–she is completely dialed for New York,” Ritzenhein says. “We’ve spent a lot of early mornings out there, and it’s been a great couple months of getting to know each other and trusting in this new process. It’s really amazing to me how talented and focused she is.”

A Multifaceted Athlete

Obiri is one of the only women to have won world championships in outdoor track, indoor track and cross country. Among the 11 global championship medals she’s earned, she owns two world championship gold medals in the 5,000m (2017, 2019), another from the 3,000 at the 2012 indoor world championships and one more from the 2019 world cross country championships.

But the marathon has always been waiting in the wings. Given her speed, endurance and championship pedigree, Obiri seems to have the right qualities to be ever better over the longer distance, Ritzenhein says. After several weeks training in the U.S., he’s confident the challenging terrain Obiri has gotten used to in Kenya and now the rolling dirt roads north of Boulder will translate well to New York’s undulating course.

“Coming off the world championships this summer, we knew Hellen still had the wheels. But it had been a big increase in total running volume but also the volume and intensity of the long runs and workouts,” Ritzenhein says. “We tried to do some quality sessions on hilly terrain that mimics the course, and she has handled it all very well. I am very confident she will handle the course.”

Ritzenhein noted that Obiri will also likely eventually serve as a guide for fellow 10,000-meter runner Alicia Monson, who will likely make the move to the marathon within the next few years. The 24-year-old third-year pro placed 13th in the 10,000 at both the Olympics in 2021 and the World Athletics Championships in 2022.

“[Monson’s] track times are getting close, so hopefully the training with Hellen will be a bridge to her career on the roads in years,” Ritzenhein says. “Now that the team is back, [Obiri] will do some of the easy morning runs with them, but her workouts are still so much bigger than where they are in training.”

The Marathon Distance Beckons

After her solid 1:07:05 half marathon at the Great North Run, it’s no surprise that Obiri is exuding confidence as she approaches what’s expected to be a highly competitive field for her first go at the marathon distance. It was her fifth time competing in the half-marathon distance,  which she says she has grown very comfortable with. In February, she finished second in a half marathon in the United Arab Emirates in 1:04:22, which remains the No. 2 time in the world this year.

“I aim to win [in New York]—the time doesn’t matter,” Obiri says.

Obiri is one of the only women to have won world championships in outdoor track, indoor track and cross country. Among the 11 global championship medals she’s earned, she owns two world championship gold medals in the 5,000m (2017, 2019), another from the 3,000 at the 2012 indoor world championships and one more from the 2019 world cross country championships.

But the marathon has always been waiting in the wings. Given her speed, endurance and championship pedigree, Obiri seems to have the right qualities to be ever better over the longer distance.

“With Peres [Jepchirchir, the reigning 2020 Olympic and 2021 New York City Marathon champion] now out of the race, it definitely changes the landscape a little,” Ritzenhein adds. “But with multiple world championship medalists and last year’s podium finishers, it’s still such a strong field. The marathon debut should always be cautious early on, but there isn’t anything that I think [Obiri] can’t handle.”

Obiri was also eager to share her thoughts on transitioning from training and racing in shoes from Nike, her former sponsor, to the On Cloudboom Echo 3.

“The fact that I was able to transition seamlessly to the new racing shoes and feel very comfortable in them is credit to the designers and team at On,” she says. “I hope I can give them more podium finishes.”

Looking ahead after New York, Obiri plans to continue to focus on road racing in 2023, though she may still jump into some track races if she feels as though she can remain competitive. After the marathon, she’ll wind down with a return to Kenya for the holidays, followed by some winter cross country running before jumping back for marathon training for a to-be-decided spring race, Ritzenhein says.

“[Obiri] could honestly train with the men’s team for much of the long training,” he says. “She’s doing things which are really incredible, and it’s inspiring for them and me to see.”

As with many elite long-distance runners, Obiri is unsurprisingly also looking ahead to the 2024 Paris Olympics as she plans out her future schedule and sets goals for future accolades.

“I have already won the world championships, world cross country championships, world indoor championships, Commonwealth Games and African Championships,” she says. “But I only have silver medals from the Olympics, and I would love an Olympic Games gold.”

TCS New York City Marathon App to Debut Livestreaming of All Pro Races in Their Entirety

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and New York Road Runners (NYRR) launched the official 2022 TCS New York City Marathon App with a groundbreaking Second Screen feature that will transform the marathon experience for runners and fans alike. For the first time in the history of major marathons, the professional men’s and women’s wheelchair and open division races will be livestreamed on the app in their entirety, empowering fans to swipe between feeds and watch the race of their choice.

The Professional Runner Feed, available free on the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon app, will enhance the broadcast coverage through a Second Screen that features uninterrupted coverage of the leaders in all four races. It will complement the race broadcast available domestically on WABC/ESPN and internationally in 182 countries and territories so that spectators from around the world can watch every move as the fastest marathoners in the world battle for victory on the streets of New York City. The 51st running of the TCS New York City Marathon will take place on November 6.

“I’m excited to race the TCS New York City Marathon again as I go for my sixth title, and it’s so incredible that everyone around the world can follow along the professional wheelchair races in full in the TCS Mobile App,” said Tatyana McFadden, a five-time TCS New York City Marathon champion and 20-time Paralympic medalist. “It’s so important to have platforms such as this that reach the masses to showcase our sport and bring parity to the wheelchair division.”

The TCS New York City Marathon has historically broken ground and set the pace for equal opportunities for both women and wheelchair athletes. This year, every step taken by the leaders can be seen on the app – from the big lead pack often seen in Brooklyn to the surges on 1st Avenue that separate the competitors. Fans can watch every race-defining move throughout the marathon.

“Livestreaming the pro races on the TCS New York City Marathon app is a win for fans and a win for athletes,” said Des Linden, a two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion. “Allowing the long form stories to develop over the course of 26.2 miles will give fans the chance to learn about the contenders and appreciate the nuances of racing that they’ve never seen before.”

The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon App also sets a new standard for runner tracking. The app allows spectators to track the elapsed time and pace of an unlimited number of runners. The first of its kind Course Camera feature lets fans watch a live feed of their favorite runners at five key points along the course – at the start, mile 8 in Brooklyn, mile 17 in the Upper East Side, mile 20 in the Bronx, and at the finish. This new feature also gives runners the comfort that their family and friends can watch them at key points on the course and cheer for them from anywhere in the world.

“Fans of an iconic global event like the TCS New York City Marathon deserve the most technologically advanced race app,” said Suresh Muthuswami, Chairman of North America, TCS. “We are proud to raise the bar this year by bringing all of the exciting action from the streets of New York City to the world in an inclusive fan experience.”

"Every year, it is exciting to see the TCS New York City Marathon partnership come to life through the mobile app, and this year’s enhancements will elevate the experience to a whole new level for both spectators and viewers,” said Christine Burke, NYRR Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products. “Whether it be fans following the every stride of their favorite professional athletes or checking out the Course Camera feed to find their family and friends, the new features in the app are guaranteed to bring in a whole new audience.”

TCS is the first ever premier partner of NYRR, a relationship that began in 2012. From the beginning, TCS and NYRR committed to enhancing the marathon experience for runners, spectators, and fans around the world through technology. The award-winning TCS New York City Marathon app is typically downloaded a half-million times every year.

Other Key Features

Share Tracking: This feature on the Runner Details page allows users to share a link that initiates an automatic app download with a specific runner already selected to be tracked during the race.

Optimized Spectator Guides: The app’s spectator guide helps fans create an itinerary to navigate New York City, so they’re able to see runners on the course. The shareable guide provides a runner’s estimated times of arrival, along with transportation directions and recommended viewing locations along the course.

Cheer Cards: Allows fans to support runners using the app to share messages on social media.

Live Pro Athlete Leader Board and Bios: Closely track the race day leaders in real time, as well as have access to bios, records, and images of professional athletes running the race.

Team Inspire Profiles: For the first time, the app will include stories of Team Inspire, a group of runners with some of the most inspiring stories in this year’s mass runner field.

The mobile app for the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon is available now for iPhone and Android devices on the App Store and Google Play, respectively.

Kenyan Mary Keitany to be inducted into New York Marathon Hall of Fame

Women's only World marathon record holder Mary Keitany will be inducted into the 2022 New York Road Races Hall of Fame in USA on November 4.

The ceremony will come two days before this year's New York Marathon which will take place on November 6.

Keitany told Nation Sport that it is a big honour for her to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in New York.

The legendary long distance runner thanked her fans in New York who cheered her on during the races.

“I’m glad I have been listed for the induction into the Hall of Fame. I started my marathon career in New York and after retirement, I’m happy I will be going back to be honoured,” said Keitany.

In her first race in New York in 2010, Keitany was in third place after clocking 2:29:01. She finished third again the following year, but improved her time to 2:23:38.

Keitany went back to New York Marathon in 2014 where won in 2:25:07 before defending her title in the 2015 and 2016 editions.

She finished second in 2017, then reclaimed her title in 2018 before announcing her retirement from road racing after her second place finish the following year.

"My first experience in major races was London Marathon when I was tasked to pace Lorna Kiplagat, Gete Wami and the rest of the team, I remember I had been asked by the race organiser and the management to pace the normal 21km but I exceeded to 26km just to test my body which was responding well at that time," said Keitany.

That would be the turning point for Keitany, who was by then a half marathon specialist. When she returned to training in 2009 after one-year maternity leave, her eyes were fixed on the full marathon.

She won the London Marathon in 2011.

Kenya's Ibrahim Hussein was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year with the Class of 21 which included Americans Gary Muhrcke and Shalane Flanagan, Scotswoman Liz McColgan and Australian Kurt Fearnley.

New York City Marathon to offer prize money for non-binary runners

For the first time at any Abbot World Marathon Majors event, the 2022 New York Marathon will award prize money to the top runners who identify as non-binary. On Tuesday, New York Road Runners (NYRR) rolled out non-binary time qualifying standards, team awards, club points and prize money throughout all NYRR races in 2022.

At this year’s marathon, non-binary runners finishing first through fifth will receive cash prizes. The winner will receive $5,000, with the prize amount decreasing by $1,000 for each placement; the fifth-place finisher will win $1,000.

NYRR’s CEO, Kerin Hempel, said in a press release that the organization is “focused on ensuring all of our athletes feel welcome and included.”

The race became an industry leader as the first Abbott World Marathon Major to add a non-binary category (which happened in 2021).

The term non-binary is used by people who do not identify as male or female.

Many road races have started offering non-binary runner categories in recent years; the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon was one of the first major races in North America to offer a non-binary category in 2019. At the 2022 race, 24 non-binary runners ran the half-marathon, while five completed the marathon.

The Boston and London Marathons announced in September that their races will include non-binary categories for the first time in 2023.

New York City Marathon: Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir out, Keira D’Amato in

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir withdrew from defending her New York City Marathon title on Nov. 6, citing an unspecified injury.

Keira D’Amato, the second-fastest American female marathoner in history, was also added to the field in Friday’s announcement.

Jepchirchir, 29, is the only person to win the Olympic, Boston and New York City Marathons in a career, doing so in a nine-month span in 2021 and 2022. She won New York City last November in 2:22:39, prevailing by five seconds over countrywoman Viola Cheptoo.

D’Amato, a 37-year-old mother of two, broke a 16-year-old American record in the women’s marathon on Jan. 16 by clocking 2:19:12 in Houston. Emily Sisson took the record last Sunday in Chicago in 2:18:29.

D’Amato, who went nearly a decade between competitive races after a middle-distance stint at American University, will make her New York City Marathon debut six weeks after running the Berlin Marathon in 2:21:48.

Elkanah Kibet also withdrew from the Nov. 6 race, a year after he was the top finisher among American male runners in fourth place. Kibet, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, received orders to report overseas, according to the New York Road Runners.

Other race headliners include: 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden and world champions Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia and Edna Kiplagat of Kenya for the women. And two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp, defending champion Albert Korir of Kenya, reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and 2020 London Marathon winner Shura Kitata for the men.

Nina Kuscsik to Receive Abebe Bikila Award at 2022 TCS New York City Marathon

Nina Kuscsik, a trailblazer for women’s running, will receive the Abebe Bikila Award this year, an honor which is presented each year from New York Road Runners (NYRR) to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running. The award will be presented to Kuscsik at NYRR’s Night of Champions during TCS New York City Marathon race week.

“I am very proud. It was such a long time ago when I was advocating for more opportunities in women’s running; it just seemed like the right thing to do,” Kuscsik said. “I attended all the meetings of the AAU in person, and I learned how to file appropriate legislation.

I also had other men and women helping me so that we could get the rules changed, so myself and other women runners would have the right, and be eligible, to run marathons. It is so wonderful to see the results of it all today.”

Kuscsik transformed the sport of running by breaking through the “boys’ club” barrier to change the rules so they included women. After she ran the 1969 Boston Marathon — unofficially, as women weren’t allowed to enter — she presented a proposal to the Amateur Athletic Union, asking for an end to the ban on women entering races. The committee agreed to raise the maximum distance of AAU-sanctioned events for women from five to 10 miles and added that “certain women” could run marathons. The rules still required a separate women’s start.

On June 3, 1972, together with NYRR president Fred Lebow and Kathrine Switzer, Kuscsik helped launch the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, the world’s original women-only road race now known as the Mastercard New York Mini 10K.

Four months later, on October 1, 1972 at the New York City Marathon, Kuscsik and five other women huddled together just before the Central Park start. When the gun went off, they sat down, protesting the women’s separate-start status. After the press got their story, the women got up and started with the men’s start. Kuscsik won the race, becoming the first woman to triumph in New York and Boston in the same year. Those six women — Lynn Blackstone, Jane Muhrcke, Liz Franceschini, Pat Barrett, Cathy Miller, and Kuscsik — are known around the world today as the “Six Who Sat.” This Saturday will mark exactly 50 years since their actions changed the trajectory of women’s running for the generations that followed.

Kuscik would return to New York in 1973 to win the marathon once again, and in 1977, she completed the annual NYRR 50-Mile in Central Park in 6:35:53, an American record. She was then among the group that successfully lobbied for a women’s marathon to be added to the 1984 Olympics.

Hellen Obiri believes her winning the Great North Half Marathon is a huge inspiration as she prepares for her full marathon debut in New York

Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Hellen Obiri said cheers from the crowd on the streets of Newcastle and a good course propelled her to clinch the title once again.

As compared to last year’s edition, when the Covid-19 pandemic was still raging — forcing the limitations on crowds — Obiri said this year's edition was well attended and the course favourable.

“Last year, the race was a bit tough due to the pandemic. However, this year’s edition has been amazing owing to the cheerful crowd. The course was also good unlike last year,” Obiri said.

Obiri won the Great North Run in 1:07:05, bettering her 1:07:42 from last year, ahead of Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir ( 1:07:07 ). Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana placed third in 1:07:10.

Obiri, the world 10,000m silver medallist added: “It’s a good feeling. I am happy for what I have done.” 

She added that the race was not a walk in the park with the presence of Jepchirchir and Ayana, a former Olympic and world 10,000m champion.

“I knew they were there and I knew the race was going to be a tight battle. However, I told myself I am the best and I will do my best. I had a plan to kick in the last 200m and it worked out well,” she said.

“I am so excited about my marathon debut but I'm also aware of the tough competition that awaits me. Right now, I am going to prepare well and I am hoping I’ll be healthy. I just want to run well and cross the finish line,” Obiri concluded.

Kenyan Evans Chebet eyes course record in New York Marathon race

Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet will be looking to extend his winning form during the New York Marathon which goes down on November 6.

Chebet will be battling it out with defending champion Albert Korir among other top names in the elite field.

Korir stormed to victory last year after clocking  two hours, 8:22 seconds ahead of Mohamed El Aaraby with 2:09:06 and Eyob Faniel came third in 2:09:56.

Four of the six Abott World Marathon Majors will be taking place this season. Berlin Marathon will be held on September 26, London Marathon on October 2, Chicago Marathon October 9 and New York Marathon in November.

In an interview with Nation Sport, Chebet said that he has started preparations to make his debut in the New York Marathon race.

He said that the race looks competitive, given that only two Kenyans will be lining up for the contest, but he will do his best.

“I have started preparations for my first New Marathon race. I understand the course is tough but I believe with good training I will be able to register good results,” said Chebet.

The athlete said that he will apply the same tactics he used to win the Boston Marathon during the New York race, and if possible,  run a course record.

But this could be a tall order because since Geoffrey Mutai registered the 2:05:06 course record in 2011, no athlete has run close to that time due to weather conditions.

“I have asked around and I have been told that the course is tough, and I have to prepare well for that. Marathon racing needs a lot of calculation and you just can’t run without thinking what awaits you in the last few kilometres,” added Chebet.

At the same time, he said that there is need for athletes to travel with translators because they can use Kiswahili language to express themselves during the pre-race conference and interviews after the race.

“I feel comfortable expressing myself in Kiswahili, and I know many athletes are struggling but I think it is high time we have translators when we compete abroad just like the way Ethiopians do when they talk in Amharic,” he said.

The big names in the New York Marathon include; the 2020 London Marathon champion Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, Brazilian Olympian Daniel Do Nascimento, Japan’s Suguru Osako who was third at the 2018 Chicago Marathon, Dutcs Olympic silver medallist and national record holder Abdi Nageeye and four-time Olympian American Galen Rupp.

World Athletics Championships marathon champion Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola is also in the mix. He won the world  having won the World Championships marathon title in Oregon, USA on July 17.

Albert Korir won the last Abott Marathon Majors series after accumulating 41 points for the 2019-2021 season.

The Abott Marathon Majors series this season began with the delayed 2021 Tokyo Marathon race which world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge won on March 6 this year.  Thereafter, Chebet won the Boston Marathon title on April 18.

Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola is also in the mix having won the World Championships marathon title last month in Oregon, USA.

Kenya's Hellen Obiri to train in US for New York Marathon

World 10,000 meters silver medalist Hellen Obiri plans to travel to America ahead of time before making her debut in New York Marathon race on November 6.

In an interview with Nation Sport, the double 5,000m world champion said that she will be heading to Colorado, USA to acclimatize.

Obiri said that she will be depending on her new coach Dathan Ritzenhein, who heads On Athletics Club, for guidance.

Ritzenhein is a former athlete who has previously competed in the New York Marathon.

Obiri, who has plans to relocate to the US, said that she is not moving yet.

“There is still some paperwork that I’m working on before finalizing my move to the US. But, I will be going to Colorado for training because I want to acclimatize before the race. I look forward to a good race, but the most important thing for me is to learn,” she said.

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships title holder, who has been training in Ngong, Kajiado County, said that when she stepped up to marathon racing, it was not easy because the training is different.

“Marathon training is different from what I was used to while competing in track races. At fast it was tricky, but I persevered and I am now used to it,” she said.

The Olympic 5,000m silver medalist said that she was inspired to switch to marathon by two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat.

“I was really inspired by Edna Kiplagat who has been doing well for long and is still competing. I have interacted with her, and when I learned that she was part of the elite field at New York Marathon, I felt encouraged that she will be racing with me,” said Obiri.

“Before the competition, I look forward to train with Edna in the US.”

The Istanbul Half Marathon champion said that she took a leap of faith to compete in full marathon after performing well in half marathon races.

Obiri clocked 64:38 to win this year’s Istanbul Half Marathon after having triumphed in the same race last year in 64:51.

The former 5,000m African champion has had a good season which climaxed in her winning a 10,000m silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA on July 16.

In New York, Obiri will be up against defending champion and Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, Edna, debutante Sharon Lokedi, Caroline Rotich and US-based Viola Lagat, who was second last year.

Other top names in the race are newly crowned world champion Ethiopian Gotytom Gebreslase and her compatriot Senbere Teferi, world bronze medalist Israel’s Lorna Chemtai Salpeter, USA’s Sara Hall and Aliphine Tuliamuk.

World Championships Medalists Gotytom Gebreslase, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, and Hellen Obiri to Join Women’s Field at 2022 TCS New York

Sara Hall, Emma Bates, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Des Linden, Nell Rojas, and Stephanie Bruce to anchor star-studded contingent of American women.

World Championships medalists Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel, and Hellen Obiri of Kenya will join previously announced New York City and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir in the women’s professional athlete division at this year’s TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday November 6. All three will make their TCS New York City Marathon debuts, with Obiri making her 26.2-mile debut across any course, and will line up against a star-studded contingent of American women that includes Sara Hall, Emma Bates, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Des Linden, Nell Rojas, and Stephanie Bruce. The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon women’s professional athlete field is presented by Mastercard®.

Women’s Open Division

Fresh off her victory at the world championships marathon, where she finished the course in a championship-record time of 2:18:11, Gebreslase will make New York City her next stop. She will look to add a five-borough title to her resume, having previously won the 2021 Berlin Marathon and finished third at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon.

“Winning the World Championships was like a dream, and I am honored to run my next marathon in New York City,” Gebreslase said. “It’s home to the biggest marathon in the world, and many of the top athletes have run there. I understand it’s a challenging course, and I’m looking forward to seeing further success there.”

Two-time Olympian Salpeter, a Kenyan-born Israeli who won the bronze medal at the world championships marathon and was the 2020 Tokyo Marathon winner, will challenge Gebreslase once again. Obiri, a two-time Olympic medalist and seven-time individual world championships medalist, will make her highly anticipated marathon debut shortly after winning a world championships silver over 10,000 meters.

“I’m very excited to make my marathon debut at the TCS New York City Marathon,” Obiri said. “I have watched the race many times on TV and have seen my Kenyan colleagues compete there. I know New York is a tough course, but I hope my experience on track, road, and cross-country will help me navigate the ups and downs. I also plan to get advice and tips from coach Dathan Ritzenhein, who competed in the race several times in the past.”

In addition to Jepchirchir, the group will be racing against Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi, who will look to become the first athlete to win the United Airlines NYC Half, Mastercard New York Mini 10K, and TCS New York City Marathon in one year. Three other Kenyans will also be strong contenders for podium places, including the 2010 New York City, 2014 London and 2017 Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, last year’s runner-up Viola Cheptoo, and newcomer Sharon Lokedi.

The American effort will be led by 10-time national champion Hall, who was the top world championships marathon finisher from the U.S. last month in Oregon, where she placed fifth. She is also the former half marathon national record holder, the runner-up from the 2020 London Marathon, and a two-time winner of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K. She will be joined at the Staten Island start line by Bates, who clocked a personal best to finish seventh at the world championships and was the runner-up at last year’s Chicago Marathon.

“From winning the Millrose mile to back-to-back Mini 10K wins, most of my favorite career moments have happened in NYC,” Hall said. “I’m all-in to add to that by having my best marathon yet at the TCS New York City Marathon. I can’t wait to be back racing my heart out in the five boroughs of my favorite city.”

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Aliphine Tuliamuk, and two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden, will also return to New York, as will national champion Stephanie Bruce, who will race the five boroughs for the final time before retiring. The deep U.S. women’s group will additionally include Nell Rojas, the top American finisher from the last two Boston Marathons, Lindsay Flanagan, the top American finisher from the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half, Annie Frisbie, last year’s seventh-place finisher, and her training partner Dakotah Lindwurm, who won Grandma’s Marathon in June. Emily Durgin, the sixth-fastest U.S. half marathoner of all-time, will make her marathon debut.

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri is moving to Colorado to pursue her marathon ambitions

When Hellen Obiri moves 14,000 kilometers from Kenya to Colorado later this year, she already knows she'll miss some of the comforts of home.

That includes Kenyan food and the country's staple of ugali -- a dense porridge made from maize flour.

"Kenyans, we like eating ugali," Obiri tells CNN Sport. "I will have to find where I'm going to make my Kenyan food over there (in the United States)."

A good ugali may hold the keys to successfully fueling the next steps of her distance-running career. Obiri, a two-time world champion over 5,000 meters, is racing her first ever marathon in New York later this year, ahead of which she will team up with a new coach and new training group in Boulder, Colorado. 

It's common for distance runners to make the move from track to road racing towards the end of their careers, but less common to do so by moving halfway across the world in the way Obiri has planned. 

At the start of this year, the 32-year-old joined On Athletics Club (OAC), an elite team based in Boulder and led by former distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein. She hopes to move to the US next month in advance of racing the New York City Marathon on November 6.

"We've been wanting to move to the USA for training and to live there, so for me it's not a difficult move," Obiri, who will be based outside Kenya for the first time in her career, tells CNN. 

"I think as an athlete and for my family, I want to move there to acclimatize well as soon as possible ... It will take me two weeks at least to get used to it and catch up with my training.

Boulder's high-altitude, rolling trails and temperate climate make it an ideal location for distance runners. There, Obiri will join a relatively new team in OAC, which was launched by the Swiss sportswear brand On in 2020.

Under Ritzenhein's guidance, Obiri has already started her marathon program and this week increases her training load from 180 to 200 kilometers of running per week. She begins the next chapter in her career having established herself as one of the best 5,000 and 10,000-meter runners in the world over the past five years. 

Just last month, she won a silver medal in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships -- clocking a personal best of 30 minutes and 10 seconds -- and has won 5,000m silver medals at the past two Olympic Games to go alongside her two world titles in the event. 

'It showed me how strong our bodies can be,' says amputee athlete Jacky Hunt-Broersma after running 104 marathons in 104 days

Her debut in New York will be the first indicator of how Obiri's track-running pedigree translates over the 26.2 miles of the marathon.

"I can't say I'm going to target this time or this time -- it's my debut," she says. "I can't say maybe I want to do sub 2:20, 2:25 because I know the New York Marathon is a tough course, especially the second half."

Starting on Staten Island, the challenging course undulates through New York's five boroughs before finishing down Fifth Avenue and into Central Park. 

"For me, I want to train well because it's my debut, and for sure, I'm looking forward to running a good race -- I'm looking forward to running my own race with no pressure and to finish well," Obiri adds. 

She says she will miss racing her favorite distance of 5,000m but won't fully hang up her track spikes with the switch to marathon running.

"You can't move up to the marathon without speed," Obiri explains, adding that she hopes to stay sharp by competing in 5,000m races in Kenya next year.

The immediate focus, however, is on getting settled with her family in the US. Obiri hopes, visa-depending, that her seven-year-old daughter, Tania, will move in time to watch the race in New York. 

"She's going to be so excited to go outside the country," says Obiri. "She actually watches most of my races and she's so excited about me winning some races over there.

"When I'm out at a race, she knows mommy's not around, mommy's going out there to do some work. She actually calls me and says: 'Mom, do your best and be number one.' She always wants me to be number one."

Obiri's daughter won't be the only one holding high expectations at the NYC Marathon. Kenyan athletes have dominated the event over the past decade with eight winners in the women's race since 2010, and those watching back home will be hoping Obiri can add to that legacy. 

But regardless of how she performs, when she winds her way through New York's five boroughs in November, Obiri will signal the start of a new stage in her running career and a new adventure for her family.

Aliphine Tuliamuk will make marathon return at 2022 New York City Marathon

For Aliphine Tuliamuk, the decision to run in the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon was a no-brainer. The 33-year-old ran the event back in 2019, finishing 12th, and she never thought it would take three years before a return trip to Staten Island’s start line.

“It was not even, you know, a matter of if – it was just when can I get to New York? So, it was not even a decision. Easy,” explains the Kenyan-born American long-distance runner, who made a name for herself in February 2020 when she won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

But the Covid-19 pandemic hit immediately after her Trials win, postponing the Olympics and canceling that year’s edition of the NYC Marathon. During the forced hiatus, she started a family with partner – now husband – Tim Gannon, welcoming daughter Zoe in January 2021. Injury struck later that year while she was training for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, and Tuliamuk withdrew about 20k into her Olympic debut with severe hip pain and hasn’t competed in a marathon since.

Her return to marathon competition has Tuliamuk fired up, both literally and figuratively.

“I’m faster than I’ve ever been before,” she recently told On Her Turf. “And it kind of makes me excited and nervous to see what (the) New York City Marathon brings, because this is going to be the first time I am actually going to complete a marathon since the 2020 Olympic Trials. That’s like, almost three years. So it’s going to be super exciting.”

Tuliamuk won’t have to wait until November, however, to enjoy a visit to the Big Apple. She’ll lace up her sneakers this Saturday, Aug. 13, as a “running buddy” to the young women who participate in the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Run for the Future program. The free, seven-week program introduces 11th- and 12-grade female high schoolers to the sport of running and culminates with this weekend’s NYRR Percy Sutton Harlem 5K.

“Running transformed my life into the life that I have today,” she explains. “I mean, without running I wouldn’t be where I am today. And to know that these girls did not have running experience before, they knew nothing about running, and then they were able to get into running through New York Road Runner feeder program, and now they will be graduating, and I get to run with them? I think that’s just incredible.”

The opportunity comes with an extra layer of “grateful” after Tuliamuk’s most recent injury. She sustained a concussion in February after slipping while training in icy, snowy conditions. She also suffered headaches and temporary memory loss, both of which subsided after about a week but left a lasting impression.

“It just gives you a perspective that like your life could literally, in a second, just turn and be something else,” she says. “This is just me being dramatic, but I could have forgotten completely. And the life that I had would have been something like a past life. I think after that, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to try to live life to the fullest.’ I’m going try to be present as much as I can, because you just never know.”

Galen Rupp will headline New York City Marathon

One of the best distance runners in U.S. history will make his debut at the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon. 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Galen Rupp will headline the men’s professional field, which is one of the strongest in recent history with 13 Olympians and six national record holders on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Rupp has competed at every Olympics since 2008, winning silver in the 10,000m in London 2012 and a bronze in the marathon in Rio 2016. He also won the 2017 Chicago Marathon and was the runner-up there last year.

“I am looking forward to making my debut in the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon,” Rupp said in a press release. “This will be my 12th marathon, so I have a lot of experience on my resume. I know a win at the TCS New York City Marathon would be right up there.”

An American man has not won the race since Meb Keflezighi in 2009. 

The reigning champion, Albert Korir of Kenya, will return to defend his TCS New York City Marathon title after taking the tape last year in 2:08:22 to finish one spot better and 14 seconds faster than his runner-up performance in 2019. His victory marked his first Abbott World Marathon Majors win. Korir had previous marathon wins at Elite-label races in Houston, Ottawa, and Vienna City.

Last year’s runner-up, Morocco’s Mohammed El Aaraby, and the 2020 London Marathon champion, Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, will join Korir and Rupp at the start line. Kenya’s Evans Chebet will also be in the mix, looking to add another world marathon title. The defending Boston Marathon champion and has top five in Berlin, London, and Tokyo, and will be making his first start in New York. Tokyo Olympic silver medalist and Dutch national record holder Abdi Nageeye will also return to New York to better his fifth-place finish in 2021.

Other international stars include Brazilian Olympian and South American marathon record-holder Daniel Do Nascimento, who was eighth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, and Japan’s Suguru Osako, who was third at the 2018 Chicago Marathon and fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon. Both will be making their TCS New York City Marathon debuts.

Five-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, who has six career top-10 NYC finishes to his name, will make his final start at the 2022 marathon. The 45-year-old distance runner has announced he will retire from professional competition at the end of 2022. Abdirahman finished third in the NYC marathon in 2016. 

Ashton Kutcher is going to be running NYC Marathon

On November 6, actor, producer, and entrepreneur Ashton Kutcher will gain a new title: marathoner.

Kutcher, 44, will compete in the New York City Marathon, his first attempt at the distance.

“I’ve never run a marathon before. I’m terrified,” said Kutcher in a video interview.

Kutcher has just over 100 days before race day. To get ready, he’s following Peloton’s marathon training program and being coached by Peloton instructor and accomplished runner Becs Gentry.

Gentry, a 2:32 marathoner and Great Britain Olympic Trials Qualifier, shares her personal experiences to inspire and motivate runners. She is one of the trainers for Peloton’s 18-week marathon training program, which is accessible through the Peloton App. The program includes playlists, training tips and workouts such as audio-only outdoor running classes and strength classes. Peloton plans to share additional ways to follow Kutcher’s marathon training journey.

The 2022 New York City marathon marks the 51st running of the event. One of the World Marathon Majors, it is considered the largest marathon in the world, with more than 53,000 finishers in 2019. (The race was canceled in 2020, and there were only 25,000 finishers in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.)

Given its notoriety, the race has attracted many famous people and personalities over the years including Katie Holmes, Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell and Sean Love Combs. Kutcher actually inspired Combs to complete the 2003 race where he finished in 4:14:54.

It all started when Kutcher and Combs went out for a casual run together. About halfway through, Combs started struggling and losing steam.

In a video interview Kutcher explained that “[Combs] was so upset over the fact he got skunked on this run, that year he decided to run the New York Marathon.” Combs raised over $2 million for the Children’s Hope Foundation, Daddy’s House Social Programs, and New York’s public school system.

Kutcher hopes to follow in Combs’s footsteps in November. Kutcher is running to raise awareness for the nonprofit Thorn, which he cofounded 10 years ago with then-wife Demi Moore.

After watching a documentary about child sex trafficking occurring in Cambodia and learning about the prevalence of the issue in the United States, the former couple was inspired to find a solution. Through Thorn they hope to fight against the exploitation of children by eliminating child sexual abuse from the internet.

Ben True had never run further than 24 miles before finishing seventh at New York City Marathon

Ben True had never run a distance of 26.2 miles before. He didn’t do too badly for a novice.

True finished seventh in the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:12:53.

Most people might think that coming in seventh in one of the biggest marathons in the world — 25,010 runners finished the race this year, and in the past it’s seen twice that — is a jaw-dropping feat, especially for someone who says the longest distance he’d run before Nov. 7 is “probably” 24 miles.

Yet, when asked if he’d surprised himself, True said he isn’t satisfied with his performance.

“Actually, I was slightly disappointed,” True reflected five days later. He was also the No. 2-ranked American to finish.

“I think I took things a little too conservatively,” he judged, explaining that he held himself back a mile to a mile and a half too long before accelerating to run the last 6 miles to the finish. “I didn’t go fast enough.”

The Upper Valley is home to notable Olympians and elite athletes — Norwich is known for being a “cradle” for Olympic athletes — and True, like many of them, initially came to the area to study at Dartmouth College, where he graduated with a major in art history in 2009. He was the first student in the Ivy League school’s history to break the four-minute mile and earned All-American honors in cross country running, outdoor track and field and Nordic skiing.

Growing up in North Yarmouth, Maine, True was known since his teens at Greely High School as a champion runner and skier in the state. He chose Dartmouth over Stanford, he said, because “the area and campus were much more to my liking, and I wanted to continue both running and skiing.”

Ben True is by his own acknowledgement an athlete who has traditionally trained alone and chosen to live apart from the running meccas of Colorado or Oregon.

For a brief spell after college, True tried living in Eugene, Ore., where he joined the Oregon Track Club, but it didn’t suit him.

“I’m a pretty big homebody. I like the Northeast more,” he said.

Until he made his marathon debut, True’s running career has been focused on competing and racking up national and global wins in 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter track races and 5K and 10K road races. But shorter-distance events exact a toll on an athlete’s body that becomes more problematic with age.

“Training for the 5K was wearing on my body a lot and tiring me out, really stressing my nervous system, all that speed work,” the 35-year-old said. “So it seemed like an appropriate time to take on the challenge of marathon running, which frequently draws people in their 30s and 40s as it is less impactful on the body.

“It was the right time to move up to the longer distance,” True assessed.

True said he chose New York for his first marathon rather than one of the other big destinations such as Boston, London or Tokyo because he had run a half-marathon there in 2019 — placing 10th at 1:02:56 — and because New York Road Runners, the organization that produces the NYC Marathon, in past years had invited True to ride in the lead vehicle at the head of the race.

“I’ve always had a lot of success in New York,” True said. “It just seemed the right place to run my first marathon.”

Despite what has been described as his “lone wolf” training regimen — his former sponsor Saucony even made it the theme of a YouTube campaign — True recruited two other running partners: Dan Curts, an Iowa State standout, and Fred Huxham, an All-American from University of Washington, who both relocated to Norwich, where they helped True to train for the marathon. 

“I used to do the majority of my training starting from my house,” True said, explaining his normal routine, which began with a 12-mile run at 10 a.m. and ended with a 5-mile run at 6 p.m. But since Curts, a year ago, and Huxham, six months ago, became part of his running pod, “we tend to meet someplace, like West Windsor, Orford, Enfield, South Strafford, running mostly on dirt roads.”

In addition to the average 120 miles per week that True would run in training for the marathon, the trio have formed a running club — Northwoods Athletics— with an eye to supporting professional runners and a weekly open invitation running group, Tour de Woodstock, for recreational runs on the weekend.

The Tour de Woodstock, which began last fall with 10 people and now has a core posse of about 15 and some weekends attracts double that, meets at East End Park on Pleasant Street in Woodstock, NH and is meant to include runners of all levels and abilities who can break off into smaller groups if they want to.

They gather at an eating spot for waffles afterward.

The mission, according to True, is to inspire people to run by providing a social element that will motivate them to enjoy the sport more.

“We had our first bonfire potluck lunch at a member’s house” two weeks ago, he said.

Northwoods Athletics is still in a formative stage — the website only recently went up — but True said one of its purposes will be to find a new economic model to train and support professional runners.

At present, professional runners are largely sponsored by athletic shoe companies, whose terms often preclude athletes and athletic clubs from accepting other sponsors. That makes athletes rely upon a single sponsor, which can have devastating impact when a contract is not renewed.

True said Northwoods Athletics wants to develop new avenues to pay runners, perhaps through contracting with employers to manage a running program for the company’s employees, similar to a company-sponsored health club membership, which would also in turn identify the company as a sponsor of the athlete.

True also hopes to see Northwoods Athletics as a vehicle to make the Upper Valley a hub for runners, at least during the nonwinter seasons. (True himself has spent winters training in Charlottesville, Va., and Boulder, Colo.)

“One of the reasons I’ve done my training alone is that I’m here, but there are not many people here,” he said.

“We’re hoping to add a few more guys to get a critical mass and a women’s team, too,” True said.

As for when True plans to run his next marathon — he doesn’t know. He is still undecided whether he will train for another track season, and if he does, then it would conflict with the time and technique required to train for a long-distance running.

In either case, True said he does not need to make that decision until January.

“So I have some time,” he said.

New York Marathon champ Peres Jepchirchir gets huge reception at airport upon return to Kenya

New York City Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir on Thursday received a rapturous reception at Eldoret International Airport as she jetted back home following Sunday victory which marked an end to a successful season.

Jepchirchir won the New York Marathon in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 39 seconds barely three months after winning the Olympic Marathon tittle in Sapporo, Japan in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 20 seconds.

At the airport the mood was exuberant as Jepchirchir's family members, athletics Kenya officials, relatives and friends together with students of Moi Girls Kapsowar joined in welcoming her.

Jepchirchir is Moi Girls Kapsowar patron, and recently helped the school organise charity race for conservation.

Jepchirchir said she was not thinking of winning but was hopeful she would do her best New York.

“When I was at the 27 kilometre mark, I saw Violah (Lagat) and I slowed the pace to wait for her. When she caught up she told me the race was getting tougher but I encouraged her we soldier on because when we are done with 35 kilometres, no one would catch up with us,” she said.

“We kept on encouraging each other and I am happy for Violah because it was her marathon debut and she fought well.”

She said she was grateful to all who prayed for her and for the best wishes extended to her as she prepared for the race and even while in New York.

“For now I am going to relax and wait for next season. I commit all to God and look upon Him on what He has prepared for me next year,” she said.

Her father Paul Kipkoech Chepkwony was lost for words following his daughter's exploits.

“I am grateful to God and all those who have been supporting my daughter’s talent which manifested itself while she was still a student. She used to run to and from school each day and this shaped her athletics prowess,” said Chepkwony.

Moi Girls Kapsowar head teacher Hellen Mabese Luhangala hailed Jepchirchir for the exemplary performance noting it has been a motivation to the young people.

“She has demonstrated resilience and determination by winning two marathons. At our school she is a champion of environmental conservation and motivating young people that the sky is no limit by surmounting all challenges,” she said.

Athletics Kenya President Rd. Gen Jack Tuwei said the season has been good for Kenyan athletes.

“She has kept the Kenyan spirit high. I was worried when she going for the New York Marathon because she had not recovered well from the Olympics but she assured us she was determined ahead of the race. I am happy for her because she kept our hopes alive,” he said.

Concerning the ongoing athletes workshops, Tuwei said he was impressed by the turnout.

“So far marital, relationship and investments are some of the issues athletes have revealed are affecting them. At the end of the forums, I am sure we will have known the real issues ailing them and how best to address them,” said Tuwei.

Molly Seidel breaks U.S. record at New York City Marathon – with two broken ribs

Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel ran the fastest time ever by an American woman at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, shattering the previous course record by more than a minute.

Then, a little more than an hour later, she revealed she had done so with two broken ribs.

"It started hurting later in the race, like badly," Seidel said. "But I didn't feel like it was messing up my stride or anything. I went all out with what God gave me today. I think I made the most of the situation I was in."

Seidel, 27, declined to specify how she suffered the injury but said it happened about a month ago. And up until two weeks prior to Sunday's race, she said she was in so much discomfort that she considered withdrawing from the event altogether.

After what she described as "frank" conversations with her coach and agent, the Wisconsin native felt healthy enough to give it a go. She credited a team of physical therapists for aiding in her recovery and said she was grateful that she sustained the injury so far in advance from the race.

"(The broken ribs) definitely hindered training a little bit, but it was manageable for the race," Seidel said.

"There's not a whole lot you can do with that. You kind of just wait for it to heal. Luckily it happened far enough out from the race – it was about a month out – so it gave me the time to be able to heal."

Seidel ended up not just running and finishing the race – which was just the fourth marathon she's ever run – but also placing fourth with a time of 2:24:42.

The previous course record had been held by Kara Goucher, who finished in 2:25:53 in 2008.

"I actually didn't know until I crossed the line, that that was what had happened," Seidel said of breaking the American record. "I'm just so incredibly honored. There are so many good women who have run on this course. I think it's really a testament to the women who were in this race, that I was able to just kind of hang onto that group. Obviously I fell off from the main pack, but kind of just kept pushing."

Peres Jepchirchir ended up pulling away to winSunday's race, which marked the 50th running of the New York City Marathon. Jepchirchir and Seidel both finished on the podium at the recent Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with the Kenyan winning gold and the American taking bronze.

Seidel said one of the reasons she chose to compete in New York, despite her injury, was the promise of being able to celebrate the result with her family members, who had to watch her Olympic performance from home due to COVID-19 protocols at the Games.

A reporter asked Seidel how she planned to celebrate.

"Oh my God," she said, "I hope there's a beer waiting for me at the hotel."

Shalane Flanagan saved the best for last, finishing the New York City marathon in 2:33:32

It’s not uncommon for elite runners to take as many as six weeks off from running after a grueling marathon.

Then there is Shalane Flanagan, 40, the New York City Marathon champion in 2017, who did the opposite. With all six of the world’s major marathons packed into as many weeks this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic, Flanagan saw an opportunity to do something extraordinary. She decided to run them all — Berlin, London, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo and New York — in under three hours each.

Flanagan, who is retired from professional running, traveled roughly 10,000 miles round-trip with her toddler son for Berlin and London. She ran Chicago and Boston on back-to-back days. Organizers ultimately canceled the Tokyo race, but Flanagan still ran a marathon on her own near her home in Oregon two weeks ago to make up for it. Her slowest time was in Chicago, which she completed in 2 hours 46 minutes 39 seconds. She completed three of the races in under 2:40, including an extremely fast 2:35:04 in London.

But she saved the best for last, finishing in 2:33:32 in New York.

Kenyan duo of Peres Jepchirchir, Albert Korir win 50th edition of New York City Marathon

Peres Jepchirchir pulled off a historic double Sunday.

Three months after she won gold at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Jepchirchir turned around and won the 50th edition of the New York City Marathon, emerging from a pack of three in the final mile to cross the finish line in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds.

The 28-year-old Kenyan is the first woman to win Olympic gold in the marathon, then win a major fall marathon thereafter.

Meanwhile, countryman Albert Korir won the men's race in dominant fashion, with a time of 2:08:22.

While Korir separated himself from the rest of the field by Mile 20, the women's race proved to be much tighter, with three women neck-and-neck entering the final mile.  Viola Cheptoo ended up finishing second, followed by Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia in third.

Cheptoo, the younger sister of retired American marathoner Bernard Lagat, shared a moment with her brother after the race; Lagat was working as a commentator for ESPN's television coverage of the event.

Molly Seidel, who won a surprising bronze at the Tokyo Olympics over the summer, was the highest-placing American in the women's field. The 27-year-old finished fourth with a time of 2:24:42.

Elkanah Kibet, who also placed fourth, was the top American finisher on the men's side with a time of 2:11:15.

Sunday's race marked the 50th running of the New York City Marathon. The event initially consisted of 127 people running laps around Central Park in 1970, with a $1 entry fee. It has since blossomed into one of the largest and most iconic marathons in the world.

Reigning Paralympic champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland dominated the men's wheelchair race, besting the rest of the field by more than six minutes with a time of 1:31:24. Madison de Rozario of Australia also followed up a Paralympic gold with a win in New York, cruising to victory in the women's wheelchair race in 1:51:01. 

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele will be making his TCS New York City Marathon debut this sunday

As a four-time Olympic medalist, 16-time world champion and the second-fastest marathoner in history, Kenenisa Bekele is one of the world’s greatest long-distance runners of all-time. In 2021, he will making his TCS New York City Marathon debut.

Bekele is the second of six children and began running in primary school when he was inspired by Haile Gebrselassie. With the natural ability to accelerate very quickly at the end of long-distance races, Bekele worked his way up the junior and senior international competition circuit, ultimately winning the 10,000-meter world title at the 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 World Athletics Championships, in addition to the 5,000-meter title in 2009. He held both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter world records for nearly 15 years until they were broken in 2020.

In his Olympic debut at the Athens 2004 Games, he won gold in the 10,000 and silver in the 5,000, and four years later in Beijing took gold in both distances. During that time, he also won 11 gold medals at the World Cross Country Championships.

In 2014, he produced the sixth fastest marathon debut ever, winning the Paris Marathon in a course-record time of 2:05:04. In 2016, he won the Berlin Marathon in what was then the third-fastest time in history. He has also finished on the podium twice at the London Marathon. 

Bekele’s most recent marathon appearance was one for the history books, winning the 2019 Berlin Marathon in the second-fastest time ever, only two seconds off the world-record time set by Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin the year prior.

He is married to Ethiopian actress Danawit Gebregziabher and off the track owns a construction business, having built commercial buildings in the Addis Ababa and Arsi regions of Ethiopia.

Sally Kipyego expects good tidings in second attempt at New York City Marathon

Kenyan-born American athlete Sally Kipyego is thrilled at the prospect of competing in a World Marathon Majors race after a long period when she lines up for New York City Marathon on Sunday.

She last competed in a World Marathon Majors race when she represented Kenya during the 2016 New York Marathon and finished second. Kipyegon has since changed her nationality when she was granted US citizenship in January 2017. 

New Marathon is being held for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The competitors will mainly be elite runners in a much reduced field.

Kipyego told Nation Sport that it feels great to compete in a major marathon once again, and she looks forward to a good performance.

Kipyego hopes to banish the demons of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games marathon in which she performed dismally, finishing a distant 17th. Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the race, compatriot and women’s world record holder Brigid Kosgei was second.

Kipyego said that the heat in Sapporo, Japan, where the Olympics marathon race was held, overwhelmed her and it took her a long time to recover from the race.

“I was strong when we started the race at the Olympics, but after a few kilometers, my body couldn’t react. My whole body was affected by the rising temperatures, and it was so disappointing because we had really waited for the Games to take place,” said Kipyego, adding that she had little time to prepare for the next assignment.

“The duration for training has been short, but I have done everything that an athlete is supposed to do before a race. I have been juggling my training between Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County and Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet which was really good,” she said before boarding a plane to New York at Eldoret International Airport in Uasin Gishu on Monday.

Kipyego also said that the field will be competitive since the Olympics champion, Jepchirchir, will be present. All in all, she believes that she will be among the top performers.

Competing on Sunday with fans cheering us along the streets is something good and supporters always motivate an athlete.

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir sets sights on winning World Marathon Majors this weekend

Peres Jepchirchir is the favorite to bag the World Marathon Majors crown set to conclude this weekend with the New York race. 

Jepchirchir, who is a two time World Half Marathon champion, needs a  win to tie Olympic silver medalist Brigid Kosgei and Joyciline Jepkosgei, who are locked on 50 points .

Kosgei, who is the Olympic silver medalist, won the 2019 Chicago  and 2020  London 2020 Marathon while Jepkosgei triumphed in New York City in 2019 and London in 2021.

In the men's category, a new overall champion will be crowned with Olympic champion and world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge not taking part.

Kipchoge has won the last four editions of the World Marathon Majors but his only victory this time round was at the  Tokyo Olympics in August.

Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma currently has the advantage having amassed 34 points from his victory at the 2021 London Marathon and third place at the same venue in 2020.

Only two men can deny the Ethiopian a first AbbottWMM series crown and they are both scheduled to run the New York City Marathon.

His compatriot Kenenisa Bekele’s nine points earned at the 2021 BMW Berlin Marathon mean he can equal Lemma’s 34 points if he wins in the Big Apple.

Belgium’s Abdi Nageeye finished second in the Olympic Marathon and could overtake Lemma if he registers his first Abbott WMM victory this weekend. 

Should Bekele triumph, there is no head-to-head contest during the series between the two Ethiopians, so the six race directors of the Majors would each have a vote to decide the champion.

If neither Bekele nor Nageye make the top two, Kenyan pair Vincent Kipchumba and Lawrence Cherono will claim second and third respectively.

Kipchumba bagged the Vienna and Amsterdam marathons in 2019,  clocking 2:06:56 and 2:05:09 and finished second in the London  in 2020, where he posted 2:05:42 before registering 2:04:28 in 2021. 

Cherono clinched the Boston and Chicago marathons in 2019 ,posting 2:07:57 and 2:05:45 respectively and came home second in the Valencia marathon in 2020 in a time of 2:03:04. 

Shalane Flanagan will conclude her six major marathon at New York City Marathon

Sometime before noon in Central Park on Sunday, Shalane Flanagan should cross the finish line of the NYC Marathon. That, alone, will be no small feat for the 40-year-old former Olympic runner.

Now consider this: She will become the first person to ever run the six World Marathon Majors in just six weeks.

Because of the pandemic, the Boston, London and Tokyo Marathons were moved from their traditional spring dates to October, and now all six races are being staged in a 42-day stretch for the first -- and likely only -- time.

"When I saw how the marathon schedule unfolded, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Flanagan. "I coined it an eclipse because it was just so rare this would ever happen. It didn't take long for me to think, 'Why shouldn't I be the one to do it?'"

While Flanagan is no stranger to the marathon distance -- she won the New York Marathon in 2017 -- her mission is all the more improbable as she is technically retired, after announcing her departure from the sport two years ago.

"My retirement coincided with two reconstructive knee surgeries, and I basically couldn't run for a year. Then we hit a pandemic," Flanagan said ahead of Sunday's race (8:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN App). "During that time I became a mom and a coach, so there were a lot of life changes, and I realized how much of my mental health is tied into running. I actually really need running. It's not a job for me, it's a passion. I missed having goals. Athletes are so goal-oriented and everyone was goal-less during the pandemic.'"

She set a sub-three-hour goal for each of the races and has shattered the mark in each race so far, including a 2:35:04 time in London.

Her current quest has pushed her physically and mentally but she's loved every minute of it. Joined by her 18-month-old son Jack as well as a tight-knit, all-female group that includes her physical therapist, a photographer and a Nike brand manager, Flanagan has awed fans around the world with her globe-trotting journey.

But it's just Shalane being Shalane, according to those who know her best.

"Shalane is always the type to just go after something," said 2020 Olympic steeplechase silver medalist Courtney Frerichs, who trains with Flanagan at Bowerman Track Club in Portland, Oregon. "I remember a few weeks after she won in New York [in 2017], she was back in training with us, fully right back in it, and I could barely keep up with her. That's just who she is.

"I wasn't surprised when she said she was doing this but I have been surprised at just how much fun she's having with it."

For many athletes, the idea of running 157.2 miles of competitive races would hardly be the retirement dream, but most athletes aren't Flanagan, who made a career of the unexpected. She was the first American woman to win in New York in 40 years when she crossed the finish line first in 2017 and is one of just two Americans to medal in the 10,000 meters at the Olympics. Flanagan earned the bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 (and it later was upgraded to silver following a failed doping test by Elvan Abeylegesse). She's always blazed her own trail.

And she didn't venture far away from the sport after officially retiring. She almost immediately began coaching at Bowerman, where she had been based for over a decade. She now worked with many of the younger runners she had been training alongside, including Frerichs.

"She was the driving force in creating a women's team here. She's always been such a leader and has truly always wanted to help others succeed," Frerichs said. "When I look back at this last year, she has played such an instrumental role."

"I basically prepped in six weeks, which is really short in the marathon world," Flanagan said. "But given the context of my lifetime of training, it was appropriate. I wouldn't recommend that though for most people."

After Sunday, she said she has no plans to run for at least a month. But the break likely won't last much longer than that.

"I think at the end I'll be thinking of how much fun we've had. I guess now I've got to dream up another hard challenge."

The Best Places to Watch the New York City Marathon

It has become the city’s biggest block party. Here’s where to cheer for the 30,000 runners in every borough.

By Ashley Wong

The New York City Marathon, one of the world’s largest marathons, is back. This year’s race will be smaller, with 30,000 runners instead of the usual 55,000. But it is expected to be a major, and emotional, milestone in New York’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

A big part of marathon Sunday is the crowd. Spectators dot the 26.2-mile course and keep tired runners motivated.

People who line the course and pull for the participants power the runners forward, Ted Metellus, the New York City Marathon race director, said.

“The single greatest thing in the world is navigating through this city, and every single person is cheering your name, every single person is excited to see you,” Metellus, a 15-time marathoner, said. “They are part of the participant’s journey and their story.”

Here’s a breakdown of the best places to watch the race in each borough:

Staten Island

It is nearly impossible to cheer in Staten Island, as marathoners spend most of their time there in the Fort Wadsworth start village before the cannon goes off on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. But some New Yorkers put encouraging signs in their yards, just in case a bus shuttling runners passes by.

Brooklyn

One of the best places to spot runners also happens to be the first. Without any spectators at the start or along the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the first two miles of the race are quiet. So participants are eager to see spectators along Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, right after they exit the bridge. The closest subway stop is Bay Ridge-95th Street on the R line, and you can hop on and off the R train along Fourth Avenue to catch runners through Bay Ridge, Sunset Park and Park Slope.

If you’re looking for an easy transit option from across the city, go to the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, served by the B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4 and 5 trains. Walk from there to Lafayette Avenue between Fulton Street and Bedford Avenue, where you’ll be treated to one of the best parties along the course. Expect to hear “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from the movie “Rocky,” on loop.

You can catch runners at multiple points in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, along Bedford Avenue from Flatbush to Nassau Avenue. Take the L train to Bedford Avenue, the M or J train to Marcy Avenue or the G train to Nassau Avenue or Greenpoint Avenue.

Queens

About two miles of the race go through Queens. Catch runners as they exit the Pulaski Bridge on the Queens side, which is right around the race’s halfway mark. This is where some runners realize they are only halfway done, so a little extra energy can go a long way. You can take the 7 train to Hunters Point Avenue, Vernon Boulevard or Jackson Avenue, or the G train to 21st Street.

Bronx

Though the Bronx is one of the shortest stretches of the race — from Mile 19.5 to Mile 21 — it is also one of the best places to cheer. The race’s 20-mile mark, around 135th Street and Alexander Avenue, is a notoriously challenging part of the race where runners may hit the proverbial “wall.”

Many local running clubs set up there to ring cowbells and cheer, so it is guaranteed to be a boisterous spot for spectators and runners. Take the 6 line stopping at Brook Avenue or Third Avenue-138th Street, or the 4 and 5 lines to 138th Street-Grand Concourse.

One tip? Do not, under any circumstances, scream, “You’re almost there,” along this stretch. They are not, in fact, almost there.

Manhattan

The race moves through Manhattan twice — first coming out of Queens from East 59th Street to 125th Street (Mile 16 to 19.5), and then again heading out of the Bronx before ending in Central Park (Mile 21 to 26.2).

If you’re the kind of person who likes a crowd to cheer with, First Avenue from 59th Street to 96th Street in Manhattanis always lined with spectators, especially with all the bars and restaurants on this part of the course.

In East Harlem, catch the runners just before they head into their 20th mile anywhere along First Avenue from 110th Street to 125th Street, served at multiple points by the 6 subway line. The further north you go, the less crowded it is and the more needed your encouragement will be for the marathoners.

You can also catch runners just before they finish in Central Park at Fifth Avenue from East 105th to East 90th Street. This is a particularly iconic section of the race, dotted by museums on the east and bordered by Central Park on the west. Many train lines will take you here, including the 4, 5, 6 and Q lines.

And if you want to scream and shout as runners triumphantly cross the finish line, you can purchase tickets for the grandstand event at West 67th Street and West Drive.

First Finishers from Inaugural 1970 Race will be honored at 50th Running of the TCS New York City Marathon this weekend

To mark the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon, several of the First Finishers from the inaugural 1970 race will be honored at the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines on Friday, November 5, and at the Marathon finish line on Sunday, November 7. 

The first New York City Marathon, organized by New York Road Runners, took place on September 13, 1970, in Central Park, with an entry fee of $1 and a budget of $1,000. Of the 127 registered runners, there were 55 finishers. The race ultimately expanded to all five boroughs in 1976. To date, the event has seen more than 1.2 million finishers. 

“The TCS New York City Marathon has influenced and inspired so many people around the world for more than five decades, and to think it all started with 127 runners in Central Park is incredible,” said Ted Metellus, Vice President of Events for NYRR and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “We are honored to bring back some of the First Finishers from the 1970 race to have them with us on marathon day this year, and to honor them for being the first to take part in what has grown to become the world’s premier marathon.” 

Former FDNY firefighter Gary Muhrcke was the first New York City Marathon champion, coming off the night shift at work to win the race. He still runs weekly in Central Park to this day, and his wife makes the laurels that the champions wear after their victories.   

Larry Trachtenberg will be the sole runner from 1970 who will run in the 50th marathon. He was born and raised in Queens, and ran at Long Island City High School and regularly in Van Cortlandt Park, where he trained for the first marathon.  

Joining Muhrcke and Trachtenberg in New York will be a number of other First Finishers from 1970, including:  

·       Arturo Montero – He came to the U.S. from Chile in 1960. He has run more than 100 marathons, 31 of them New York City Marathons (2016 being the last one). The 1970 race was his first marathon. 

·       Bill Newkirk – Born in the Bronx, he regularly ran around Central Park and met Fred Lebow during his runs. He has now participated in more than 20 marathons, including more than 10 New York City Marathons. He also helped NYRR by measuring courses with his friend, Ted Corbitt. 

·       Ed Ayres – After growing up in New Jersey, he ran the 1970 race with his brother, Glen; both of them finished in the top 10. He went on to start Running Times magazine. 

·       Gerald Miller – The oldest living First Finisher at 92 years old is originally from Queens and moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan after he got married. He heard about the first marathon at the YMCA. He has run more than 20 New York City Marathons and got his whole family into running. 

·       Jim Isenberg – He grew up in Boston and has run in more than 100 marathons, including the New York City Marathon four times. He ran for Princeton University and is friends with Larry Trachtenberg, who told him about the first marathon. He was a professor of physics and mathematics at the University of Oregon. 

·       Joe Martino – He took his first trip to New York as a teenager with Rick Sherlund, sleeping on a mattress the evening before the marathon at the local YMCA. He also ran the marathon in 1978 and became friends with two-time winner Tom Fleming.  

·       Moses Mayfield – He was the fastest African American marathoner in history at the time with a time of 2:24:29; he led the 1970 marathon for 24 miles of the race before being passed by Muhrcke. 

·       Ralph Garfield – Originally, from England, he came to the U.S. in 1961 and would regularly run in Central Park on the Reservoir. He has run 14 marathons (eight New York City Marathons) and still jogs/walks to this day.  

·       Rick Sherlund – At 16 years old, one of the youngest runners of the first marathon, he traveled to NYC with his friend, Joe Martino, to participate in the marathon. He ran the first 20 miles and then had a cream soda before cramping and having to walk the last six miles. 

·       Steve Grotsky – Originally from the Bronx, he was a fixture in the New York running scene; he went on to run for Princeton University and completed 50 marathons. 

·       Tom Hollander – He ran the marathon after graduating from high school in Connecticut, and ran again in 1977. In 1972, he won the Cherry Tree Marathon. 

·       Vince Chiappetta – Along with Fred Lebow, he co-directed the first New York City Marathon and is a co-founder of NYRR. He has run in more than 100 marathons. 

·       Nina Kuscsik – She changed the sport of running by breaking through the “Boys’ Club” barrier and changing the rules so they included women. She opened doors for future generations. While she did not finish the race, she is the only woman among the 127 entrants who ran in the 1970 New York City Marathon. 

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)  

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.  

Bernard Lagat and Deena Kastor to Join TCS New York City Marathon Broadcast Team

Five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat and Olympic medalist and American record holder Deena Kastor will join fellow Olympian Carrie Tollefson as part of the broadcast team for the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 7, which will be aired live on ABC7/WABC-TV in the New York City area and on ESPN2 nationwide.

WABC-TV and ESPN have been home to the award-winning broadcast of the world’s largest marathon since 2013. The race will be available globally in more than 180 countries and territories and in over 500 million homes through various international broadcast partners.

The trio of Olympians will join a team of 15 commentators, led by ESPN’s John Anderson, who will serve as race-day host and play-by-play analyst for his eight consecutive race. Both Lagat and Tollefson will join Anderson in the commentary booth. Kastor will join Lewis Johnson in covering the professional athlete races throughout the course from the women’s and men’s motos, respectively. Johnson will then join ABC7’s Sam Ryan in hosting the post-race award ceremonies for the champions.

Lagat competed at every summer Olympics on the track from 2000 to 2016, winning a silver and bronze medal in the 1,500 meters in 2004 and 2000, respectively. He ran the TCS New York City Marathon in 2018, finishing as the top men’s masters athlete. He will now make his broadcast debut at the event at the same time his sister, Viola Cheptoo, makes her marathon debut in the professional athlete field.

“In 2008, I got to watch the TCS New York City Marathon from a lead vehicle, and in 2018 I ran New York for my debut marathon,” Lagat said. “I’m excited that in 2021, I get to see the race unfold from yet another angle – in the broadcast booth. I hope my experiences as an athlete can add a different perspective to the race for those watching throughout New York City and across the country.”

Kastor is the American record holder in the marathon and a three-time Olympian who won a bronze medal at the Athens 2004 Games. She finished as the top American woman in her marathon debut at the 2001 New York City Marathon in an American debut record time, and had three top-10 finishes at the event in her career.

“Twenty years ago, I fell in love with the marathon distance when I debuted at the New York City Marathon,” Kastor said. “I feel privileged to commentate on this historic race by joining the ESPN2 broadcast with my fellow Olympians Bernard Lagat and Carrie Tollefson. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate 50 years of this race.”

The group will be joined by a talented array of reporters at the start, finish, along the course, and in the sky, including ABC7’s Eyewitness News reporters Ryan Field, Anthony Johnson, Kemberly Richardson, Michelle Charlesworth, Lee Goldberg, John Del Giorno, and Josh Einiger.

The international feed will be led by local sports radio personality Ed Cohen calling the play-by-play, and veteran track and field broadcaster, Paul Swangard.

The broadcast, produced in coordination with 45 Live and distributed by IMG, will air on ABC7/WABC-TV and ESPN2 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST. Pre and post-race coverage will air on WABC-TV from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. EST, and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST.

Long-time director of the broadcast Bruce Treut, who has directed every New York City Marathon broadcast since 1989, is handing the reins to Brigette Boginis. Boginis, the first women at the helm of the show, will pick up Treut’s duties directing 35 live cameras.

The 50th running of the race will also stream live on abc7ny.com, and the ABC7New York app in the tristate viewing area and the ESPN App nationally from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST. Pre-race and continuing coverage will also be streamed live nationally on ESPN3 (accessible on the ESPN App and ESPN.com) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

A two-hour encore presentation of the race broadcast will air on ABC affiliates around the country from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST and on ESPN2 from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST.

International broadcast partners secured by IMG for the race include: ESPN Brasil (Brazil), SMG Sports (China), Eurosport (Pan Europe, Pan Asia, India), L’Equipe (France), RAI (Italy), TV Asahi (Japan), Sky Mexico (Mexico), NOS (Netherlands), New Zealand (Sky), SuperSport (South Africa), ESPN International (South America), and TVE & Esports3 (Spain).

This year’s broadcast features an engaging story on U.S. Olympic marathon medalist Molly Seidel; a look back at the first New York City Marathon in 1970 through the spoken word of its first champion, Gary Muhrcke; and an insightful piece on New York City during the pandemic from the perspective of Ana Johnson, an Oncology Nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center racing in the professional women’s field.

Sister of Bernard Lagat, Viola Cheptoo will Run her first marathon debut at New York Marathon

When Viola (Lagat) Cheptoo decided she was going to run her marathon debut at the 2021 New York City Marathon, one of the first things she did was tell her family in their WhatsApp group text.

As the youngest of 10 in a family full of talented runners, Cheptoo, 32, grew up watching her older siblings make history on the track and the roads. When she took up the sport as a kid, she had nine brothers and sisters to look up to and who’ve supported her endeavors ever since. This summer, the Iten, Kenya native couldn’t wait to share her plans for the next phase of her running career.

After she sent the text, Cheptoo was hit with another layer of excitement from the fifth-oldest sibling, five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat.

“My brother was like, ‘Oh my gosh! Are you serious because I’ll be commentating there!’” she told Runner’s World.

On November 7—three years after Lagat, 46, made his marathon debut in New York City—Cheptoo will compete in her first 26.2 on the same course, while her brother announces the 50th running of the race as one of three Olympians headlining the ESPN broadcast team.

When Cheptoo learned this news, she was reminded of the enthusiasm she felt during the summer of 2016 when she and Lagat both competed at the Rio Olympics. He represented Team USA with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000 meters, and she represented Kenya in the 1500 meters. This year, running is bringing them together once again on the streets of New York City.

“It’s one of those things that you only dream of, siblings to make a team for your country and be at big events at the same time,” she said.

Like her brother, who is 14 years older, Cheptoo started as a middle-distance runner. By the time she was in grade school, Lagat was becoming a three-time NCAA champion and 11-time All-American at Washington State University.

Cheptoo competed for two seasons at Central Arizona College in 2009 and 2010 before transferring to Florida State University in 2011. Looking back on her college career, Cheptoo credits then-FSU head coach Karen Harvey with encouraging her to see herself as a long-distance runner after competing in the 800 meters early on. By her senior year, Cheptoo bought into the idea and became an All-American in cross country and the 1500 meters.

In 2016, she competed for Kenya at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and 2016 Olympic Games. That year, she finished eighth in the 1500-meter indoor final in Portland, Oregon and sixth in heat 2 of the 1500-meter semifinal in Rio.

After the Rio Games, Cheptoo got injured and switched coaches in 2017, moving to Iten to join a training group led by coach Julien Di Maria. In her return to consistent running, he encouraged her to embrace longer runs to build a strong base of mileage. In 2018, she went from running 6 to 7 miles every day to 8 to 12 miles, depending on the workout, and the training paid off.

In February 2020, she made her 13.1 debut at the Napoli City Half Marathon in Italy, where she won in 1:06:47.

“​​My coach was like, ‘If you don't believe in yourself, I think this is something that should make you realize that you can actually run a good marathon,’” she recalled. In the same conversation, Cheptoo said he predicted she’d run a marathon in two years. “I thought he was joking.”

“​​I’ve just decided to give myself a chance when it comes to this marathon in New York,” Cheptoo said. “I’m just focusing on the positive things and thinking about mentally preparing myself that I’m going to be strong. I’m not going to let the pain distract me from focusing on my race.”

Niagara elementary teacher, Jonathan Bradnam is a two-time cancer survivor running the New York Marathon

Jonathan Bradnam is no stranger to physical and mental adversity. The 34-year-old elementary school teacher from Welland, Ont. has beaten cancer not once, but twice, and returned to running the day after receiving radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer. Since then, he has completed several marathons and is inspiring his students to get out and run, too. To celebrate the positive impact he’s had on his community, he was selected by TCS Canada to join five other teachers on Team TCS Teachers to run the New York Marathon on November 7th.

Bradnam ran off-and-on for several years but fell out of the habit when school, life and family commitments began to take over. In 2016, Bradnam was playing soccer when he noticed some discomfort. A visit to the doctor revealed that he had aggressive testicular cancer, and he had surgery the very next day. A follow-up scan one month later discovered that the cancer had spread into his abdomen, at which point he was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for treatment. He underwent three rounds of chemotherapy, after which the doctors declared him cancer-free and he was able to return to normal life with his wife and two children.

Two years later, at one of his routine check-ups, the doctors noticed a tumor in his throat, which turned out to be thyroid cancer. Bradnam had surgery in June 2018 to remove the tumour, followed by radioactive iodine treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells. He decided to get back into running there and then, and the very next day, he laced up his shoes.

“I saw a poster for a local race and decided to see if I could get back into some form of fitness,” he says. “I wanted to see if I could get back under 20 minutes for 5K, which at that point, I thought was a pretty lofty goal.”

To his surprise, he accomplished that goal and began to gradually work his way up to longer distances. His first marathon was the 2020 That Dam Hill in London, Ont., where he won in an impressive 2:39:31, setting a new course record. This achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that for several months during cancer treatment, neuropathy in his feet made it difficult for Bradnam to walk, let alone run.

“When your health is kind of taken away from you, you realize what you’re able to do and you stop taking your health for granted,” says Bradnam.

Bradnam is now an ambassador for the Rankin Cancer Run, and shares story and his passion for running with his students. He organizes a running club at school where he routinely has around 70 students arrive 45 minutes before school starts to run laps around the field, during which time they talk about building healthy habits and the benefits of regular physical activity.

In less than two weeks’ time, Bradnam will be standing on the start line of the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon, alongside five other Canadian teachers as a part of Team TCS Teachers. He was the top Canadian finisher last year in the virtual New York Marathon, and although he’s dealt with a few more aches and pains throughout his training this year, he’s excited to test himself at the in-person race.

“I definitely channel some of the negative experiences that I’ve had health-wise,” says Bradnam. “I tell myself ‘you’re suffering now but you’ve suffered a lot more in the past’. The suffering is going to be temporary, and I channel that to do things that I might not be able to do otherwise.”

Celebrities running 2021 TCS New York Marathon

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has announced its celebrity lineup for the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon on November 7. The marathon annually attracts big names across sports, entertainment, music, fashion and lifestyle.

The marathon’s golden celebration will bring together former US Women’s National Soccer Team teammates with Olympic gold medalists Abby Wambach, Lauren Holiday, Kate Markgraf and Leslie Osborne running and supporting the JLH Fund. Other leading athletes include New York Giants former running back Tiki Barber, returning for his seventh New York City Marathon.

Many renowned and recognized luminaries run to support and raise funds for charitable causes. Mumford & Sons band member Marcus Mumford will run for Children in Conflict and his bandmate Ben Lovett will support the Robin Hood Foundation.

Tony-award winning and Grammy-nominated actress Kelli O’Hara will also support a meaningful cause by running for Cancer Support Community. Additionally, she will perform the US National Anthem prior to the men’s open professional race.

Television anchors and personalities will take on the 26.2-mile course including TODAY Show and Morning Joe co-host Willie Geist running in support of the Michael J Fox Foundation and Good Morning America’s Will Reeve running in support of the Reeve Foundation. In addition, producer and host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show Nev Schulman will run in his fourth New York City Marathon.

Many stars of Bachelor Nation will hit the streets including friends Matt James and Tyler Cameron who will be running together for the Andrea Cameron Foundation. The Bachelorette’s Tayshia Adams will run in her first-ever marathon after her fiancé, Zac Clark, introduced her and shared his love of running as he takes on his seventh New York City Marathon on behalf of Release Recovery.

Legendary fashion model Christy Turlington will make her return 10 years after running in her first New York City Marathon, representing her charity, Every Mother Counts. Additionally, Shoe4Africa will have model and actress Kristine Froseth running to support its worthy cause.

The full list of notable runners in this year’s marathon includes:

Abby Wambach – Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion; supporting JLH Fund

Ben Lovett – Mumford & Sons; supporting Robin Hood Foundation

Christy Turlington – Model; supporting founder of Every Mother Counts

CJ Hobgood – ASP World Championship surfer

Daniel Humm – Chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park/Make It Nice

Kate Markgraf – Olympic gold medalist and general manager of U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team; supporting JLH Fund

Kelli O’Hara – Broadway and Tony award-winning actress; supporting Cancer Support Community

Kristine Froseth – Model and actress; supporting Shoe4Africa

Lauren Holiday – Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion; supporting JLH Fund

Leslie Osborne – Olympic gold medalist; supporting JLH Fund

Marcus Mumford – Mumford & Sons; supporting Children in Conflict

Matt James – The Bachelor; supporting ABC Food Tours and Andrea Cameron Foundation

Nev Schulman – Host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show; supporting NYRR Team for Kids

Nicole Briscoe – ESPN SportsCenter anchor

Ryan Briscoe – Professional race car driver

Tayshia Adams – The Bachelorette; supporting World Vision

Tiki Barber – NY Giants legend, host of Tiki & Tierney; supporting NYRR Team for Kids

Tyler Cameron – The Bachelorette; supporting Andrea Cameron Foundation

Will Reeve – Good Morning America; supporting Reeve Foundation

Willie Geist – TODAY Show, Morning Joe co-host; supporting Michael J. Fox Foundation

Zac Clark – The Bachelorette; supporting Release Recovery.

TCS New York City Marathon app lets fans enjoy a hybrid race experience

Tata Consultancy Services  a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization and title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon, and New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world's premier community running organization, launched the official 2021 TCS New York City Marathon app. For the first time, the new version of the app allows fans to simultaneously track runners on the racecourse as well as those who are competing virtually from anywhere in the world.

The 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon will take place on November 7 and the Virtual Marathon from October 23 to November 7.

The 2021 TCS New York City Marathon App is a true hybrid platform that enables in-person and virtual runners, along with their supporters and spectators, to share in the marathon experience. Virtual runners will appear on the marathon course map in red and in-person runners will be in blue. Elapsed time and pace will be available for all runners, every 5K of their respective races. In addition, a new Marathon City: 3D Map feature uses Augmented Reality (AR) technology to allow everyone to experience the marathon course map as never before.

Virtual runners can share their GPS location with two spectators, so they can be tracked wherever in the world they are running the marathon. All other spectators tracking virtual runners will see their location that corresponds with the distance they have covered on the TCS New York City Marathon racecourse. For example, virtual runners between miles 16 and 18 will appear to be running up First Avenue in the app.

The location and estimated finishing time of in-person runners will be calculated based on performance of training runs and past marathons. This enhanced tracking capability will create the most accurate opportunities for spectators to catch runners live on the course.

"As we return to the iconic TCS New York City Marathon racecourse across the city's five boroughs, we are witnessing the race experience transform like never before," said Surya Kant, Chairman of North America, TCS. "Our 2021 Marathon App is filled with innovations that will help make this year's event a truly global experience, bringing both in-person participants as well as virtual runners across the world together on one platform."

"Together with our title partner TCS, we are looking forward to making the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon the most technologically advanced marathon in history," said Christine Burke, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products, NYRR. "This will be a historic year for the event in so many ways, and as we embark on another eight years with TCS, there's no better way to have them engage with our runners than through their most innovative marathon app ever."

The TCS New York City Marathon app features additional enhancements to create a more immersive experience for virtual runners.

At numerous dedicated mile markers in the virtual marathon, the app will automatically play audio files with words of encouragement from past marathoners and iconic sounds from the in-person race. For example, all virtual marathon runners will begin their race with the sound of a cannon going off, simulating a similar experience to what in-person runners hear as their waves begin just south of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The app will also allow virtual runners to do an unlimited number of 5K "Practice Runs" prior to their marathon journey to ensure they are comfortable using the app on race day. On race day, virtual runners can restart or pause an unlimited number of times but have 24 hours to complete the 26.2-mile race.

At the finish line, virtual runners will have access to a digital certificate and a selfie filter with an AR medal that can be shared on social media to celebrate their accomplishment.

Marathon City: 3D Map Details

Runners, spectators and fans can explore the TCS New York City Marathon course map in AR through the Marathon City: 3D Map, including:

Points of interest along and around the racecourse

Race day starting times for various groups

Elevation changes along the course

Interactive map showing the Start Village in Staten Island

This new AR experience was created by TCS in a stylized "low-poly" design similar to Marathon City: Sprint to Win and Marathon City: Spin to Win, two inclusive gaming experiences that mimic racing the last 100 meters of the TCS New York City Marathon racecourse through Central Park.

Other Key Features

Share Tracking: This feature on the Runner Details page allows users to share a link that initiates an automatic app download with a specific runner already selected to be tracked during the race.

Optimized Spectator Guides: The app's spectator guide helps fans create an itinerary to navigate New York City, so they're able to see runners on the course. The shareable guide provides a runner's estimated times of arrival, along with transportation directions and recommended viewing locations along the course.

Cheer Cards: Allows fans to support runners using the app to share messages on social media.

Live Pro Athlete Leader Board and Bios: Closely track the race day leaders in real time, as well as have access to bios, records and images of professional athletes running the race.

To download the TCS New York City Marathon App powered by Tata Consultancy Services, go to the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

About Tata Consultancy Services

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world's largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 50 years. TCS offers a consulting-led, cognitive powered, integrated portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions. This is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 528,000 of the world's best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $22.2 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit www.tcs.com.

Extensive COVID-19 countermeasures to be in place at New York City Marathon

The New York City Marathon is set to have extensive COVID-19 countermeasures in place, with organisers eager for the race to run on November 7 after the 2020 edition was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Runners will need to provide proof of at least one vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from within 48 hours of race day to compete.

Efforts have also been made to reduce crowding throughout the event.

The three-day Expo prior to the race has been closed to the general public and the number of attendees at any one time has been restricted.

The start of the race will be staggered across multiple waves in an attempt to maintain social distancing.

On the course, runners will be permitted to wear hydration belts in order to reduce crowding at drinks stations dotted along the track.

Family members will also be banned from the finish area to reduce the risk of overcrowding.

Face coverings are set be required at the Expo, on public transportation during race day, at the race start, and at the post-finish area.

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir is set to compete in the elite women's race after winning the women's marathon gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The event is the last of the six World Marathon Majors, preceded by Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago.

The Tokyo race has been rescheduled to March 6 2022.

The Berlin Marathon is set to take place tomorrow in what will be its first edition since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, while the other four all take place over the space of seven weeks.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia is due to be competing in Germany as the three-time Olympic gold medallist - all over shorter distances than the marathon - looks to retain his Berlin title.

In the 2019 edition, Bekele finished two seconds shy of the world record set by Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, and has vowed to attack the mark at tomorrow's race.

Kenya´s Nancy Kiprop takes inspiration from Covid-19 stigma ahead of New York Marathon

Three-time Vienna Marathon champion Nancy Kiprop has recounted the tough times she and her family underwent after fake news spread that her husband, Joseph Chelimo, had died of Covid-19. 

Her ordeal was worsened by the fact that Chelimo has been all the while battling for his life in the intensive care unit at Mediheal Hospital, for close to a month. 

She said her mental health took a big hit from the rumours and she had to stop training for a while. 

"When the bad news started spreading that my husband was dead due to Covid-19, it really affected my training. I went into depression for about a week but I had to stand firm for my family and career. I had to start my training and be there for my husband,” Kiprop says. 

Such rumours, she says, was so disheartening and a big burden to bear especially for their daughter, who was looking forward to her father's recovery.

Kiprop regretted how 'mourners' kept streaming into their home asking about the burial arrangements which threw her family, including their five adopted children into agony.

"People even used to flock to my shop in Iten, requesting to know the burial date. I was forced to close down the shop," she recounts. 

“As a family, we expected people, friends, family members and wellwishers to spread the good news of healing but it was the opposite. It has been so disheartening to realise we are living with people, whom we thought are friends and family, only to for them to celebrate when we are in trouble,” explained Kiprop.

“In fact, our young children have been thinking that I have been hiding information from them. They have been really affected, especially their studies. One of them has forfeited going to school because of what she has been hearing from her friends and neighbours,” she explained.  

“My daughter is only 22 years and she’s still young to absorb such bad news when she knows the truth.

Besides the shop, Kiprop was forced to keep away from a school she runs, also in Iten, due to the stigmatisation she would suffer from the students and teachers every time she was around. 

“I own a school but I had to quit going there. Everyone, including the children, believed that my husband had died of Covid-19 and all they did was run away from me. They believed their director (myself) was a sick person but I thank God all is well now,” Kiprop says.

As the sole breadwinner, Kiprop says she had to remain strong for the sake of her family, amid a flurry of condolence messages. 

She also had to take on additional responsibilities and decide on major phases in their children's lives, such as admitting their son to Rift Valley Technical Training Institute as well as their daughter to high school.

“With all these laid upon me, I had to make sure I was sober enough to handle it. Imagine receiving a condolence message yet the man is still struggling in hospital. It is better to get first-hand information before spreading such messages,” she says. 

She explains that she was also financially drained.

“I am so burdened and the little savings I had has been spent in hospital. However, my manager has been of great help. When I am down, he comes in handy. He understands that I have adopted five children, he mentors me, supports me. He is a God-sent to me. He is a pillar not just in my career but my life,” she said.