Running News Daily

Grovdal, Kipchumba Take Victories At United Airlines NYC Half

Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal and Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba won this morning’s hilly and chilly United Airlines NYC Half in 1:09:09 and 1:00:25, respectively.  Grøvdal, 33, a three-time European Athletics cross country champion, became the first European woman to win the race since Britain’s Mara Yamauchi in 2010. 

Kipchumba, 30, last November’s B.A.A. Half-Marathon champion in Boston, was the race’s ninth Kenyan male champion over its 17-year history.  Both athletes won $20,000 in prize money.

The two dozen women in the elite field were in no hurry to establish a fast pace when the race set off from Prospect Park in Brooklyn just after sunrise.  Calli Thackery of Great Britain, recently named to her country’s Olympic Marathon team, was the early leader and a pack of seven went through the 5-K checkpoint in a gentle 17:07.  Grøvdal was in that pack along with Kenya’s Gladys Chepkurui, Edna Kiplagat and Cynthia Limo; the Netherlands’ Diane Van Es; and Switzerland’s Fabienne Schlumpf.  The two top Americans, Des Linden and Jenny Simpson, were five seconds back.

The next five kilometers would be critical.  As the leaders ascended the Manhattan Bridge to cross the East River, the pace became too difficult for Thackery, Van Es and Schlumpf who all slid back.  At the 10-K mark on the Manhattan side (33:26) the race was down to four: Grøvdal, Chepkurui, Kiplagat, and Limo.

Limo, the reigning Honolulu Marathon champion, was next to lose contact after Chepkurui pushed the pace up the FDR Drive along the East River. By 15-K, Limo was nearly 20 seconds behind and would finish a distant fourth in 1:11:54.

Grøvdal Comes Back

But Grøvdal was also hurting.  In the tenth mile (17th kilometer) as the race went up Seventh Avenue past Times Square, Grøvdal began to lose contact with Chepkurui and Kiplagat.  It looked like she would finish third for the third year in a row.

“I was so tired then,” Grøvdal told reporters.  “Just thinking, it’s third this year also.  But then, I don’t know.  I just tried to don’t get the gap too big.  Suddenly, I was just behind them again.”

The final seven kilometers of this race are particularly tough.  The race climbs about 30 meters from 15-K to the finish, and the finish straight itself is uphill.  Grøvdal knew the course well and was ready.

“Then something in me just, OK, now it’s the finish,” Grøvdal explained.  “It’s 3-K left, so I was planning to have a strong finish the last 2-K and I did that.”  She added: “I just went for it.”

The men’s race began much more aggressively than the women’s.  By the 5-K mark (14:23) Kipchumba and Morocco’s Zouhair Talbi had already reduced the lead pack to four.  Along for the ride were two Olympic steeplechasers, American Hillary Bor and Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie.  The four stayed together through 10-K (28:38), but then Kipchumba and Talbi began to trade surges.  That kind of racing was too punishing for Haileselassie, who drifted off the pace.  Bor, running in just his first half-marathon, hung on.

“I wanted a fast race and I think the same for him,” said Talbi, who is observing Ramadan and had to fast in the days leading up to today’s race.  “He (Kipchumba) wanted to push… so both of us keep pushing from the start.  I pushed until the end, basically.”

By 15-K (42:54) Bor was 12 seconds back and Haileselassie was 32 seconds in arrears.  It would be either the Kenyan or the Moroccan who would take the victory today.  Kipchumba was determined and recognized Talbi as a formidable opponent.

“Today was not easy,” Kipchumba told Race Results Weekly.  “The guy was strong.”

Kipchumba finally shook off Talbi in the race’s final stages, leading by 10 seconds at 20-K (57:18) and, ultimately, 17 seconds at the finish.  His time of 1:00:25 was the fastest since 2017 when the race was held on a different –and much easier– course from Central Park to lower Manhattan.

“I tried my best; I won the race,” Kipchumba said.  “(With) three kilometers remaining I said it’s time to win.”

Talbi was second in 1:00:41, and Haileselassie passed Bor in the final kilometer to take third in 1:01:37 to Bor’s 1:01:47.  Another American, Reed Fischer, rounded out the top 5 in 1:03:06.

Jenny Simpson Targets NYC Half

For the first time in her running career, Jenny Simpson faced a decision that she’d never considered in a race. At mile 18 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, her debut at the distance, the most decorated U.S. 1500-meter runner in history made the difficult choice to drop out of the competition on February 3.

The marathon leaves runners vulnerable to a number of challenges—nutrition issues, tough terrain, the rigors of high mileage—which can derail even the most experienced runners on a bad day. When Simpson, 37, started cramping with 16 miles left in the race, the setback shocked her. After spending months transforming her body from an explosive middle-distance runner to a long-distance athlete on the roads, Simpson felt ready to take on 26.2, which made the race in Orlando, Florida, all the more confusing.

“One of the beautiful things about running is that so often what you put in is what you get out, but the [Olympic Marathon Trials] wasn’t that way at all,” Simpson told Runner's World.

After the race, Simpson took time to reflect. For two days, the three-time Olympian relaxed with her family in Oviedo, Florida, her hometown located just outside Orlando. In between playing with her nieces and enjoying home-cooked meals, she expected to feel sad following the race. But to her surprise, that feeling never came. Instead, Simpson felt motivated to find another opportunity to show her fitness.

While riding in an Uber on the way home from the Denver airport to her house in Marshall, Colorado, Simpson sent a text message to a contact at the New York Road Runners (NYRR), asking if there were any spots available to race the NYC Half. The event in New York City on March 17, one of 60 adult and youth races organized by NYRR throughout the year, will include Simpson in her third half marathon.

Coming out of a tough few years of personal and professional hardships, Simpson has a new perspective on disappointment. For her, the Olympic Trials is just another exercise in the importance of having faith in the process and her ability to bounce back.

“The race didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I still believe in myself,” Simpson said. “I’m up at the plate, gripping the bat and I swung once, totally missed, but I’m gonna swing again because I believe I’m ready for it.”

Marathon metamorphosis

After spending well over a decade dominating American middle-distance running and collecting medals on the global stage—including world championship gold (2011), two silver medals (2013 and 2017), and Olympic bronze at the 2016 Rio Games—Simpson’s streak of making U.S. teams ended during the pandemic. In 2021, she made the finals of the 1500 meters at the Olympic Trials, but she finished 10th.

That fall, she started to transition to the roads with her first 10-mile race. But at the end of 2021, her life was upended by injury, the conclusion of a longtime sponsorship with New Balance, and a devastating wildfire that she and her husband, Jason, narrowly escaped on December 30, 2021. While their home was spared, most of their neighbors’ houses were destroyed. For three months, the couple was displaced while damage was repaired.

By the spring of 2022, things started to turn around for Simpson. Her sports hernia was healing, she and her husband returned to their home, and she was in conversations with shoe companies. That fall, she signed with Puma and shared her intent to focus on the roads.

In January 2023, she made her debut in the half marathon with a 1:10:35 in Houston. That summer, she announced her plans to race the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, her first 26.2.

In collaboration with her longtime coaches, Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs, Simpson threw herself into the event. She built up to 100-mile weeks during the training cycle, worked with a nutritionist on mid-race fueling, and spent three weeks in Orlando acclimating to the heat in preparation for the championship.

Lessons learned

On race day, Simpson started out at a pace that felt manageable (she ran between 5:23 and 5:38 per mile through the first 10), resisting the urge to go with the blazing pace set by the leaders. Just past halfway, Simpson got a side stitch, and then she started cramping, first in her toes and then in her calf and hips. “Over the course of a few miles, I went from being able to race, to feeling like I was in trouble being able to move through my normal range of motion,” she said.

Simpson tried to double down on hydration at the aid stations, but the muscle cramps got worse as the race progressed. While battling through the setback, Simpson ultimately decided to accept the loss. For an athlete who is used to being on the podium, dropping out was an agonizing choice, but the crowd’s support on the course helped her cope.

“It’s one thing for people to say, ‘We’re proud of you no matter what,’ and I’ve heard that my whole life. I’ve been the woman who can make the team,” Simpson said. “To actually be in the position where I’m not doing well and I’m not making the team and everyone is good on that promise to be proud of me no matter what, I’m just so grateful.”

Now almost three weeks out from the race, Simpson and her team are determining takeaways from the competition. After spending many years following a set schedule of Diamond League competitions and international championships on the track circuit, Simpson wants to choose races that excite her. Right now, that means conquering a half marathon through Times Square and Central Park.

“2024 for me is gonna be about embracing the freedom to dial in on the experiences that I want to have before this is all over,” Simpson said. “It’s not going to last forever, and that doesn’t mean I’m retiring tomorrow or anytime soon, but we’ve been through some tough years, and I still think life is beautiful.”

Kenenisa Bekele, Connor Mantz & Clayton Young To Headline 2024 United Airlines NYC Half

The New York Road Runners (NYRR) has announced that the 2024 United Airlines NYC Half, taking place Sunday, March 17, will feature 11 Olympians, seven Paralympians, and several more professional athletes who have their eyes on the Paris 2024 Games this summer.

Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, fresh off finishing first and second, respectively, at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, will headline the men’s open division at the United Airlines NYC Half, while two-time U.S. Olympian Hillary Bor will race 13.1 miles for the first time in his career and the world’s most-decorated distance runner, Kenenisa Bekele, will return to New York for his second NYRR event. The women’s open division will be chock-full of established contenders, including Olympians Des Linden, Jenny Simpson, Edna Kiplagat, Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal, and Malindi Elmore, in addition to World Championships marathon bronze medalist Fatima Gardadi.

These athletes will lead more than 25,000 runners during the United Airlines NYC Half, the world’s premier half marathon, organized by NYRR, which runs from Brooklyn to Manhattan, passing historic landmarks, diverse neighborhoods, and sweeping views of the city along the way before finishing in Central Park.

Men’s Open Division

Mantz and Young, training partners from Provo, Utah, will line up together at the start in New York less than two months after finishing one-two at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando and qualifying for the Paris 2024 Games. Mantz was fifth in his first United Airlines NYC Half in 2022, and last year became the seventh-fastest American marathoner in history when running 2:07:47 to finish sixth at the Chicago Marathon. Young finished right behind him in seventh in 2:08:00 and will be making his United Airlines NYC Half debut.

“I think I have a lot of room to improve in the halfs,” Mantz said on the latest episode of NYRR Set the Pace, Feb. 22, 2024. “I want to get these halfs in so I can have more confidence heading into Paris. I ran [the United Airlines NYC Half] in 2022…which was probably one of the most special experiences and it was a huge learning [experience]. It was probably my first race where I was competing against a big international field…so it was a really good experience for me, and I think it’s one I want to repeat and take what I’ve learned in the last two years and use it.”

Ethiopia’s Bekele, a four-time Olympic medalist, 16-time world champion, and the third-fastest marathoner in history, will challenge the American duo, racing with NYRR for the second time after finishing sixth at the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon. He will be joined at the starting line by Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba, the reigning champion of the B.A.A. Boston Half Marathon who owns one of the top-10 half-marathon times in history.

Malindi Elmore and Tristan Woodfine to run 2024 NYC Half

On Thursday, the New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced the field for the 2024 NYC Half on March 17, which will feature Canadian marathoners Malindi Elmore and Tristan Woodfine alongside 11 Olympians and one of the world’s most decorated distance runners, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

This will be Bekele’s first time at the NYC Half and only his second career road race in New York City. (He finished sixth at the TCS New York City Marathon in 2021.) Bekele is one of the most prolific runners of all time, having been at the top of the sport for more than two decades. His personal best of 2:01:41 from the 2019 Berlin Marathon still stands as the Ethiopian national record, and makes him the third-fastest marathoner in history.

Bekele will headline the men’s race alongside top U.S. marathoners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who are fresh off finishing first and second, respectively, at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 3. Also joining the men’s field is Cobden, Ont.’s Woodfine, who is coming off an impressive 2:10:39 personal best and sixth-place finish at the 2024 Houston Marathon. The 30-year-old is currently training for the 2024 Boston Marathon, where he hopes to place in the top five to potentially secure a spot on the Canadian Olympic marathon team in Paris.

The women’s elite field will be full of established distance runners, including Olympians Des Linden, Jenny Simpson, Edna Kiplagat and Elmore, who was recently nominated to her third Olympic Games. Elmore secured her spot on the Canadian team last fall with a 2:23:30 clocking at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, the second-fastest Canadian women’s marathon time. Like Woodfine, Elmore is also training for the 2024 Boston Marathon, which she hopes will prepare her for the hilly marathon course at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is expected to be the hilliest Olympic marathon course to date.

The men’s and women’s elite field will lead more than 25,000 runners during the United Airlines NYC Half, the world’s premier half marathon, which runs from Brooklyn to Manhattan, passing historic landmarks, diverse neighbourhoods and sweeping views of The Big Apple before finishing in the middle of Central Park.

Ednah Kiplagat confirms next race as she chases more history

Forty-four-year-old Edna Kiplagat has opened up on where she will compete next, giving the impression that she is not hanging her spikes anytime soon.

More than 25,000 runners have confirmed participation at the New York City Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday, March 17 from Brooklyn to Manhattan, finishing in Central Park.

One of the headliners in the women’s field is 44-year-old Kenyan runner Edna Kiplagat who will be using the race as part of her preparations for the Boston Marathon.

Kiplagat is one of the most successful long-distance runners and from her records, she is a two-time Boston Marathon champion and former London and New York City Marathon champion.

Kiplagat will be up against compatriots Gladys Chepkurui, the reigning Tokyo Half Marathon champion, and Cynthia Limo, a World Athletics Championships half-marathon medalist. The duo has the two fastest times in the women's open division.

Two-time US Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden will return as the top American finisher from last year's race, having recently finished 11th at the US Olympic Marathon Trials.

Olympic and World Championships medalist Emily Simpson will make her United Airlines NYC Half debut but she is no stranger to NYRR races as an eight-time winner of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile.

Lindsay Flanagan and Annie Frisbie, both of whom finished in the top 10 at the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials, will also be ones to watch.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, a four-time Olympic medalist, 16-time world champion, and the third-fastest marathoner in history, will challenge the Kenyan charge in the men’s race. He will be competing in the streets of New York for the second time after finishing sixth at the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon.

The Kenyan charge will be led by, Abel Kipchumba, the reigning champion of the B.A.A. Boston Half Marathon who owns one of the top 10 half-marathon times in history.

Morocco's Zouhair Talbi will return to the event after taking third in his United Airlines NYC Half debut last year, which he called "the race of his life."

Since then, he finished fifth at the Boston Marathon and broke the Houston Marathon course record in January.

Tanzanian Olympian and marathon record-holder Gabriel Geay, who was the runner-up at last year's Boston Marathon, will race the United Airlines NYC Half for the first time.

An American contender to watch will be Hillary Bor, a two-time U.S. Olympian and five-time national champion who will be making his half-marathon debut.

How An Old Drinking Fountain Revived New York’s Marathoning and Pasta Club

The group is all about logging slow miles and consuming carbs—in that order.

In New York’s Central Park, at West Drive and 92nd Street, is a nondescript drinking fountain made of black granite. Blink as you run past, and you’d miss it, but this particular fountain, inscribed in 1991 with an ivy garland and the words “72 Street Marathoning and Pasta Club” around its rim, has recently gained interest from a new generation of runners and inspired them to take up the mantle of distance running and carb loading. 

Amanda Smith stumbled upon the fountain in 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was inspired by the inscription. “As a foodie who loves to run, nothing more closely aligns with my lifestyle than that!” she wrote on Reddit. Smith snatched up the Marathoning and Pasta Club handle on Instagram posthaste, knowing she wanted to do something with it in the future—three years later, her dream has come to fruition. 

A few weeks ago, Smith gauged interest for an all-new run club devoted to sharing easy miles followed by “family style” meals afterwards. People loved the idea. The group got together for their first outing on Thursday night: Five runners showed up for a loop of Central Park, chatting and getting to know each other, before tucking into orders of rigatoni carbone on the Upper West Side. 

“It was really nice to just have a conversation, and everyone’s kind of sharing the role that running plays in their lives,” Smith told Runner’s World.

The original Marathoning and Pasta Club traces its history back to the 1970s, when its members, in addition to their love of running and spaghetti, were dedicated stewards of Central Park, often planting trees and cleaning and restoring water fountains. One of the seven original members is Jonathan Mendes, a World War II Marine who in 2016, at 96 years old, was believed to be the oldest unofficial finisher of the New York City Marathon, completing the race in 11 hours and 23 minutes. Carl Landegger, 10 years Mendes’ junior, was another founding member, and was running marathons with his friend as recently as 2010. 

Smith laughs that the initial club was comprised of serious runners who competed around the world, clocking impressive times. Her iteration of the Marathoning and Pasta Club is more of a nod to the originals. The new club is truly pace inclusive and spans all five New York City boroughs. Next week they’ll be meeting in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park before heading to Pasta Louise Cafe in Park Slope. 

You don’t need to be a marathoner to join the club, and unlike many other groups, there’s no minimum pace required. 

“I hope people feel comfortable to come because it isn’t about competitions,” Smith said. “You don't need to be training for anything. We had people last night who just like to run, and they’re not interested in running a marathon and that’s totally fine.” 

Some nights, Smith says they may even skip the run and just bond over pasta. She sees a real need for clubs based around recovery-pace runs and community. 

Fusilli and farfalle sound fun? You can stay up-to-date on the happenings of the Marathoning and Pasta Club on their Instagram page. 

Hellen Obiri explains why the New York City marathon course is tougher than Boston

Hellen Obiri has shared reasons why she thinks the New York City Marathon course is more difficult than the Boston Marathon course.

Reigning New York City Marathon champion Hellen Obiri has admitted that the New York City Marathon is the toughest course she has competed on since making her debut over the full marathon.

Obiri made her debut last year in the streets of New York City, and managed a sixth-place finish, clocking a Personal Best time of 2:25:49.

This year, she opened her season with a dominant win at the Boston Marathon, clocking 2:21:38 to cross the finish line.

However, her time will not be recognized by World Athletics as a credible Personal Best time since the Boston course does not meet the rules of a standardized course by World Athletics.

Obiri then returned to the Big Apple and this time around, she clinched a win, in what seemed to be a very easy run for her.

The World 10,000m silver medalist clocked 2:27:23 to cut the tape. However, she has insisted that the course is a bit more difficult than the one in Boston.

“The New York course is harder than Boston…when you reach Central Park, there are a lot of hills and valleys unlike Boston where it was a bit flat towards the end,” Obiri said.

The two-time World 5000m champion added that she was competing in the streets of New York City to just win the race and not break any record because of the nature of the course.

Sifan Hassan, Kelvin Kiptum, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug have been crowned Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XV champions

Sifan Hassan, Kelvin Kiptum, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug have been crowned Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XV champions.

The series concluded at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon.

Kiptum and Hug already had their victories assured, with Kiptum winning the TCS London Marathon and then the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a world record 2:00:35 to seal the men’s open division title.

Wheelchair racer Hug had swept all five Majors before New York and promptly made it six from six with a dominant display in the final event. Hug was presented with a special gold Six Star medal to mark the accomplishment.

Hassan, with wins in London and Chicago, could only be caught by Kenyan Hellen Obiri, who needed to win in New York to add to her Boston victory and tie Hassan at the top of the leaderboard.

Obiri duly obliged, out-kicking Letesenbet Gidey in Central Park to claim the race victory.

That meant the six race directors of the Abbott World Marathon Majors had to each vote for their choice to be the 2023 women’s series champion. The vote went the way of Hassan, who set the second fastest time in history of 2:13:44 when she won in Chicago.

For Debrunner, it was all in her own hands. She went into the final race three points behind her Swiss compatriot Manuela Schär, with defending series champion, the USA’s Susannah Scaroni, two points further back and Madison de Rozario of Australia also within striking distance of the title if she could win in New York.

Debrunner left all her rivals behind from the gun, descending the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with a commanding lead that she never relinquished.

She went on to break Scaroni’s course record, finishing in 1:39:32 to take the win, the record bonus and the series.

It caps a stunning fall season for Debrunner, who shot into contention by winning the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in a world record time before adding the Bank of America Chicago Marathon to her list of successes two weeks later.

Abbott World Marathon Majors CEO Dawna Stone said: “We are thrilled to see the series end in such spectacular fashion in New York City, and to have four such incredible series champions to celebrate.

“Series XV has been one for the history books, with three new world records set across the divisions and a host of course and regional records falling as well.

“Our six races continue to raise the bar of elite performance in the marathon, and we congratulate Sifan, Catherine, Kelvin and Marcel on their fantastic achievements in this series.”

Series XVI will begin at the Tokyo Marathon on March 3, 2024.

Pizzolato donates 1984 New York City Marathon winning shoes to MOWA

At the end of ABC television’s coverage of the 1984 New York City Marathon, there’s a shot of Orlando Pizzolato sitting on a bench in Central Park, retying his well-worn footwear. “Those shoes may have had it,” remarked anchorman Jim McKay.

Not quite. Some 39 years on, the shoes that took the unheralded Italian to the biggest upset victory in the history of the Big Apple’s big race have been generously donated to the ever-expanding Heritage Collection in the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).

Whatever unfolds in the 2023 edition of the New York City Marathon this weekend, there’s unlikely to be anything as dramatic as the battle of attrition from which the plucky Pizzolato emerged as the unlikely hero in 1984.

As the Italian and the rest of the 18,000 field assembled for the start, it was difficult to pick out the contours of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Such was the heat haze that had descended upon the Big Apple on the last Sunday in October that year.

“The weather is going to be a huge factor,” proclaimed Marty Liquori, the great US miler, working as the expert summarizer on the men’s race for ABC Sports. “We’re looking at the hottest and most humid New York Marathon ever.”

The mercury was already pushing 70°F and the humidity was close to maximum.

“That causes two things to happen at the front of the pack,” continued Liquori, runner up to Miruts Yifter in the 5000m at the inaugural World Cup in Dusseldorf in 1977. “The natural front runners get conservative, so the pack stays tighter. The second thing is the hotter it gets, the greater chance there is for an upset.”

“Yes, look out for the man you do not know in this marathon,” predicted McKay, the distinguished Voice of ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

“This man could be for real”

Not a lot of people were looking out for the runner bearing race number 100, clad in the colors of his homeland – blue and white singlet, red shorts.

Pizzolato, a 26-year-old representing the University of Ferrara sports club from the north of Italy, was no Ferrari of a marathoner.

In seven attempts at the classic 26.2-mile distance, he boasted a best of 2:15:28 - more than seven minutes slower than the world record figures of 2:08:05 set by Welshman Steve Jones in Chicago a week before the 1984 New York race.

Pizzolato’s PB came in New York in 1983, the year Rod Dixon made up a half-mile deficit to overhaul Briton Geoff Smith virtually on the finish line in Central Park. The New Zealander’s winning time was 2:08:59. He finished 6min 29sec and 26 places ahead of Pizzolato.

Twelve months later, Dixon, the Olympic 1500m bronze medalist behind Finn Pekka Vasala and the trailblazing Kenyan Kip Keino in Munich in 1972, returned to New York as favorite for the men’s title – and the $25,000 prize and Mercedes Benz that went with it in that first year of open professional running.

“I’m a lot more confident in my own mind, having run successfully in ’83,” he told Liquori in a pre-race interview. “I think I’m rightly the favorite. I’ve trained well and I’ve got confidence in my own ability. I’ll go out and if I strike it right, they won’t catch me.”

Five miles in, given the exceptional conditions, Liquori and four-time winner Bill Rodgers, following the men’s race from ABC’s on-course buggy, felt Dixon was striking it right – 18 seconds down on home runners Pat Petersen and Terry Baker in a pack that included two-time Commonwealth gold medallist Gidamis Shahanga of Tanzania.

Pizzolato was also among the chasing group, seemingly unknown to any of the experts. His first name check came as he overtook Jose Gomez of Mexico to claim pole position, shortly before reaching halfway in 65:03.

“Could this, Marty, be the man they did not know?” McKay enquired.

“This man could be for real,” Liquori replied. “In the hotel I saw Franco Fava, a great steeplechaser from Italy, and he mentioned that it has been so hot in Italy this summer and fall. So, this is one person who is accustomed to the heat.”

Rodgers was not quite so sure. “I think it’s still anybody’s race,” he said. “The guy from Italy looks good. But we’ll have to see later in the race.”

“The Pope, Reagan and then it was me”

The guy from northern Italy was certainly looking good.

While Dixon seemed ill at ease, struggling to cope with the pace and the conditions some 1:15 behind, Pizzolato appeared to be feeling groovy as he crossed the Queensboro Bridge, the subject of Simon and Garfunkel’s 59th Street Bridge Song.

“Orlando looks very good,” Liquori observed. “He looks to have a style that’s fitting for a marathoner. When you’re looking around, taking in the scenery, you know that the running is coming easy.

“One thing should be pointed out. Steve Jones, who set the world record last week, was a very well-established track runner. He was eighth in the 10,000m at the Olympic Games.

“But Orlando has run a minute slower for 10,000m: 28:22. Were he to win this, it would be just about the biggest upset in a major marathon that I’ve seen.”

By the 20th mile mark, it was clear that Pizzolato himself was somewhat upset. The temperature had risen to 74 degrees and the humidity to 96%. His pace slowed to a 5:26 mile.

Briton Dave Murphy was gathering momentum, moving up into second, and Dixon into third.

“Well, I think we’re entering the last chapter of Orlando,” ventured Liquori. “I think I might have got too excited at 18 miles. Maybe it was the Italian in me.”

Soon after, Pizzolato grabbed his chest and slowed to a temporary halt. Three times he stopped, then started up again. “This man is in trouble,” said McKay.

Entering Central Park, with less than three miles to go, Pizzolato stopped for a fourth time. He clutched his chest, glugged half a cup of water and poured the other half over his head.

Dixon was out of the equation at this point, having stepped off the course suffering from cramps. But Murphy had closed to within 15 seconds.

“It’s like the tortoise and the hare,” said Liquori. “Pizzolato’s running-stopping, running-stopping. Murphy is just taking a steady course. It looks like it’s his race.

“For Pizzolato now, the drama now is how much of his soul he’s going to lay down.”

Thrice more, Pizzolato stopped and started, each time taking on fluid and calmly checking out the gap behind him. Somehow, he managed to lay down enough of his soul to bridge over his troubled water.

The finished line approached with Murphy not yet in sight.

“He has pulled it off,” Liquori pronounced. “He has mentally been able to fight through his form having gone to pieces, through having had so many problems.”

“It was very hot,” said Pizzolato, who crossed the line in 2:14:53, 43 sec ahead of Murphy. “I had cramp in my stomach. It was very terrible, but I am very happy.”

The New York Times the next day concentrated on Grete Waitz’s sixth success in the women’s section, praising Pizzolato in passing for having overcome the heat and the late challenge of Murphy in “a men’s competition that the stifling heat and humidity reduced to a battle of attrition.”

Back home in Italy, the reaction was different. “The first story in the news was the Pope,” Pizzolato reported, “then Ronald Reagan’s election. Then it was me.”

Retained title

Twelve months later, the guy from Italy returned to New York and proved he was no flash in the marathon pan.

This time he was the tortoise, running his steady race while Geoff Smith burned himself out at world record pace, then overtaking Djibouti’s World Cup Marathon winner Ahmad Saleh two miles from home to become the Big Apple’s first overseas two-time winner, clocking 2:11:34.

“Last year I won by mistake, probably,” Pizzolato told The New York Times. “This year was more exciting. I was not in confusion in the last 365 yards.

“All the people seemed to know my name and my number. It was like everyone was a friend of mine. It was a great source of power.”

In an era when the fast men of the track came to dominate the men’s marathon – with the likes of Jones, Dixon and Carlos Lopes, the Portuguese runner who won the Olympic title in Los Angeles in 1984 and succeeded Jones as world record-holder in 1985 – Pizzolato was a great source of power and inspiration to the traditional specialists of the event.

He never broke 2:10. His fastest time was 2:10:23, which he recorded while placing sixth in the World Cup Marathon in Hiroshima in 1985. The following year Pizzolato was third in Boston (2:11:43), then overtook a shattered Jones to claim the European Championships silver in Stuttgart (2:10:57) behind his compatriot Gelindo Bordin, and returned to New York taking third place (2:12:13) behind another Italian, Gianni Poli.

These days the two-time Italian king of New York operates a company bearing his name which offers running camps and a consultation service, and which provides scholarships to athletes aged from 16 to 22.

Lots of exciting racing on the streets of New York City and a new course record

Hellen Obiri timed her kick to perfection to win a thrilling women’s race and Tamirat Tola broke the course record for a dominant men’s title triumph at the TCS New York City Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label event, on Sunday (5).

Claiming their crowns in contrasting styles, Obiri sprinted away from Letesenbet Gidey and Sharon Lokedi in Central Park and crossed the finish line in 2:27:23, winning by six seconds, while Tola left his rivals far behind with 10km remaining in a long run for home. Clocking 2:04:58, he took eight seconds off the course record set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 to claim his first win in the event after fourth-place finishes in 2018 and 2019.

While super fast times have dominated recent major marathon headlines, the focus in New York was always more likely to be the battles thanks to the undulating course and competitive fields, although the men's race ended up being the quickest in event history.

The women’s race was particularly loaded. Kenya’s Lokedi returned to defend her title against a strong field that featured Boston Marathon winner Obiri, 10,000m and half marathon world record-holder Gidey, and former marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei, while Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir was a late withdrawal following the leg injury she sustained a week before the race.

There was no clear pre-race favourite and that remained the case right up to the closing stages, with many of the leading contenders locked in a fierce fight after a tactical 26 miles.

The pace was conservative in the first half, with a series of surges but no big moves. Eleven of the 14 members of the field remained together at half way, reached in 1:14:21. It set the scene for a final flurry, with the pace having gradually slowed after 5km was passed by the leaders in 17:23, 10km in 34:35 and 15km in 52:29.

Obiri, Lokedi and Kosgei were all firmly part of that group, along with their Kenyan compatriots Edna Kiplagat, Mary Ngugi-Cooper and Viola Cheptoo. Ethiopia’s Gidey was happy to sit at the back of the pack, with USA’s Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle taking it in turns to push the pace.

The tempo dropped again as the lead group hit the quiet of Queensboro Bridge, with the 25km mark reached in 1:28:39. But the group forged on, hitting 30km in 1:47:06 and 35km in 2:04:45.

Then Cheptoo made a move. The 2021 New York runner-up managed to create a gap but Obiri was the first to react and covered it gradually. Gidey followed and as Cheptoo surged again, Obiri and Gidey ran side-by-side behind her. It wasn’t decisive, though, and soon Lokedi and Kosgei were able to rejoin them.

As the group hit 24 miles in Central Park, Lokedi was running alongside Obiri and Cheptoo, with Gidey and Kosgei just behind. The pace picked up again but each time Kosgei was dropped, she managed to claw her way back – Lokedi leading from Gidey, Obiri and Kosgei with one mile to go.

Looking determined, two-time world 5000m champion Obiri saw her chance and began to stride for the finish. Being chased by Gidey and with Lokedi four seconds back, she kicked again at the 26-mile mark and couldn’t be caught, using her superb finishing speed to extend her winning margin to six seconds.

It was a brilliant return for Obiri, who finished sixth when making her marathon debut in New York last year and who went on to win the Boston Marathon in April. She becomes the first women since Ingrid Kristiansen in 1989 to complete the Boston and New York marathon title double in the same year.

Gidey followed Obiri over the finish line in 2:27:29, while Lokedi was third in 2:27:33, Kosgei fourth in 2:27:45 and Ngugi-Cooper fifth in 2:27:53.

"It's my honour to be here for the second time. My debut here was terrible for me. Sometimes you learn from your mistakes, so I did a lot of mistakes last year and I said I want to try to do my best (this year)," said Obiri.

"It was exciting for me to see Gidey was there. I said, this is like track again, like the World Championships in 2022 (when Gidey won the 10,000m ahead of Obiri)."

Tola finishes fast

The men’s race also started off at a conservative pace but by 20km a lead group of Tola, Yemal Yimer, Albert Korir, Zouhair Talbi and Abdi Nageeye had put the course record of 2:05:06 set 12 years ago back within reach.

Most of the field had been together at 5km, reached by the leaders in 15:28, and 10km was passed in 30:36. Then a serious surge in pace led to a six-strong breakaway pack, with Ethiopia’s Tola, Yimer and Shura Kitata joined by Kenya’s Korir, Dutch record-holder Nageeye and Morocco’s Talbi.

Kitata managed to hang on to the back of the pack for a spell but was dropped by 20km, reached by the leaders in 59:34.

The half way mark was passed by that five-strong lead group in 1:02:45, putting them on a projected pace just 24 seconds off of Mutai’s course record.

Tola – the 2022 world marathon champion – surged again along with Yimer, who was fourth in the half marathon at last month’s World Road Running Championships in Riga, and Korir, the 2021 champion in New York. They covered the 5km split from 20km to 25km in 14:41, a pace that Nageeye and Talbi couldn’t contend. It also turned out to be a pace that Korir couldn’t maintain and he was the next to drop, leaving Tola and Yimer to power away.

After an even quicker 5km split of 14:07, that leading pair had a 25-second advantage over Korir by 30km and Tola and Yimer were well on course record pace as they clocked 1:28:22 for that checkpoint. Tola was a couple of strides ahead as they passed the 19-mile mark, but Yimer was fixed on his heels.

The next mile made the difference. By the 20-mile marker Tola had a six-second advantage and looked comfortable, with Korir a further 45 seconds back at that point and Kitata having passed Nageeye and Talbi.

Then Yimer began to struggle. He was 33 seconds back at 35km, reached by Tola in 1:42:51, and he had slipped to fourth – passed by Korir and Kitata – by 40km.

Tola reached that point in 1:58:08, almost two minutes ahead of Korir, and more than four minutes ahead of Yimer, and he maintained that winning advantage all the way to the finish line.

With his time of 2:04:58, Tola becomes the first athlete to dip under 2:05 in the New York City Marathon. Korir was second in a PB of 2:06:57, while Kitata was third in 2:07:11. Olympic silver medallist Nageeye finished fourth in 2:10:21 and Belgium’s Koen Naert came through for fifth in 2:10:25.

"I am happy to win the New York City Marathon for the first time," said Tola. "It's the third time for me to participate, after two times finishing fourth. Now, I'm happy."

Tamirat Tola sets NYC Marathon record; Hellen Obiri wins women's race

Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia set a course record to win the New York City Marathon men's race on Sunday while Hellen Obiri of Kenya pulled away in the final 400 meters to take the women's title.

Tola finished in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 58 seconds, topping the 2:05.06 set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. Tola pulled away from countrymate Jemal Yimer when the pair were heading toward the Bronx at Mile 20. By the time he headed back into Manhattan a mile later, Tola led by 19 seconds and chasing Mutai's mark.

Kenyan Albert Korir finished second in 2:06:57, while Ethiopian Shura Kitata was third in 2:07:11. Yimer fell back to finish in ninth.While the men's race was well decided before the last few miles, the women's race came down to the final stretch. Obiri, Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia and defending champion Sharon Lokedi were all running together exchanging the lead. Obiri made a move as the trio headed back into Central Park for the final half-mile and finished in 2:27:23. Gidey finished second, 6 seconds behind. Lokedi finished third in 2:27:33.

Obiri added the New York victory to her win at the Boston Marathon in April.A stellar women's field was thought to potentially take down the course record of 2:22:31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003. Unlike last year, when the weather was unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 70s, Sunday's race was much cooler in the 50s -- ideal conditions for record-breaking times.

Instead the women had a tactical race with 11 runners, including Americans Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle, in the lead pack for the first 20 miles. Taylor and Huddle both led the group at points before falling back and finishing in eighth and ninth.

Once the lead group came back into Manhattan for the final few miles, Obiri, Gidey and Lokedi pushed the pace. As the trio entered Central Park, they further distanced themselves from Kenya's Brigid Kosgei, who finished fourth.

Catherine Debrunner won the women's wheelchair race in 1:39:32, breaking the course record by more than three minutes. Men's wheelchair race winner Marcel Hug narrowly broke his record from last year, finishing in 1:25:29 to miss the mark by 3 seconds.

"It's incredible. I think it takes some time to realize what happened," Hug said after his sixth New York City victory. "I'm so happy as well."

Hug is the most decorated champion in the wheelchair race at the event, breaking a tie with Tatyana McFadden and Kurt Fearnley for most wins in the division in event history.

Morgan Beadlescomb, Annie Rodenfels win Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5k

Two runners won big at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday in Central Park.

Morgan Beadlescomb, 2023 B.A.A. 5K champion, and three-time NCAA Division III champion Annie Rodenfels both captured the 2023 USA Track & Field (USTAF) 5K Championships.

Beadlescomb, 25, finished in 13:44, marking his debut in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K.

Rodenfels, 27, captured the women's title in 15:22, after finishing fourth in the 2022 edition of the event.

Over 10,000 runners from across the country participated in the event Saturday morning, including top local athletes and many runners who are also running Sunday's TCS New York City Marathon.

The Abbott Dash served as a great warmup ahead of Sunday's marathon.

Runners started the race at the United Nations and then made their way across Midtown before ending at the marathon finish line in Central Park.

Eyewitness News sports reporter Sam Ryan spoke to Chris Miller of Abbott, who shared his excitement for Saturday's race.

"For 10,000 runners to take on these iconic streets of New York, as Abbott being a company about celebrating health and technology company, it is great to see," said Miller.

Don’t Forget: The Back of the Pack Deserves Your Support, Too

Here’s how to make all runners feel welcomed—no matter how long they are on the course.

As running catches on with a greater amount of people and paces, start lines at big races have ostensibly become more democratic spaces. This is another way of saying that marathons are getting slower. 

At the 2022 New York City Marathon, the average time was 4:50:26, almost 23 minutes slower than the average time in 2000 (4:27:45 ), according to The Washington Post. And in 1990, just six out of 6,168 runners at the Chicago Marathon took longer than six hours to finish, a sharp contrast to the seven percent of 48,000 finishers this year who took 6+ hours to complete the race. 

This is something to be celebrated—more people toeing the start line now who may not have felt welcomed or able to participate previously. But there’s a flipside to that coin. Back-of-the-pack runners face the same daunting challenges that every marathoner does, and then some. 

Slower runners don’t have the same race conditions as their speedier peers. Back-of-the-packers often receive less crowd support, hydration and aid stations often run out of supplies or close down before they reach them, and sometimes the course can become a slippery hazard with piled up cups and trash left by other runners. Then there’s the “sweeper” vehicles that usually follow the slowest runners and pressure them into getting a ride to the finish line if their pace slows. Sometimes back-of-the-pack runners don’t even receive a finisher’s medal, nor an official time, if they don’t make the race’s cutoff time.

Observations from the back

Maria-Leena Kerr experienced some of these issues at her first marathon last year. By mile 14 of the New York City Marathon, her friends and family had no idea what was going on with her because her athlete tracking had been turned off. It was a “celebration beyond compare” when the 38-year-old mom made it to the finish line, but “Finding out that I didn’t get an official finish time but others that were slower did because they were in earlier waves made me pretty disappointed,” Kerr says.

Endurance athlete, inclusivity advocate, and seasoned marathoner Latoya Shauntay Snell says she thinks things are gradually changing for the better in the road running community for slower runners, but she sees many areas for improvement. Snell—who ran this year’s Chicago Marathon in 9 hours and 19 minutes—is not a stranger to being pulled off courses for falling behind, and she isn’t afraid of receiving a DNF if necessary. But she and other back-of-the-packers told Runner’s World that if runners are afforded the option to finish on the sidewalk, it seems appropriate to “at the very least, fulfill the most basic essentials like water on the course.” Snell says: “I know this is possible because I’ve seen other races like The Route 66 Marathon and the Little Rock Marathon make this happen.”

Every November since 2016, a group called Project Finish waits in Central Park until the very last runner finishes the New York City Marathon, to ensure that every athlete is celebrated and cheered for. Last year, they were out until 11:32 p.m. to encourage the very last runner, 75-year-old Rozanna Radakovich, as she completed her race in 15:10:18. It’s a labor of love, and there is always a small but mighty contingent of kind-hearted folks who show up and stay late to ensure that every finisher feels like a champion. 

However, runners who take longer than 6 hours and 30 minutes to finish at New York must complete their race on sidewalks, because after the sweep buses pass, streets are reopened to traffic. There’s no medical or aid stations available to runners at that point either, and the finish line in Central Park closes at 11:30 p.m.

Back-of-the-pack runners deserve the same race experience and support as the fleet-footed amongst us. Ashley Dean, a fitness trainer, advocate, and self-described “slower runner” in New York, says that it’s a common misconception that people in the back don’t train, which is often untrue. 

“I don’t believe anyone should run a marathon if they haven’t trained for it—whether they’re a 3-hour or 7-hour marathoner,” Dean says. She points out that participants are typically shelling out around $300 in race fees and thousands of dollars in training, gear, travel, and associated costs. “They all deserve the same tools on race day,” she says. 

New attempts at support

Some large races, like the London Marathon, have been experimenting with programs to circumvent these issues. In 2020, the race organizers announced the mass race would start half an hour earlier than usual and invited participants who anticipated finishing slower than 7 hours and 45 minutes to start at the back of the second or third wave to give them more time to finish. 

The marathon (which was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in 2021) provided a group of fifty “tailwalkers” to walk the entire course and operate as a mobile cheer squad for those at the back of the pack. The race also kept timing mats, event photographers, and drink stations in place until the last participants were done so that everyone received the same race experience. 

In advance of the 2023 New York City Marathon, select runners including Snell and Kerr were invited to participate in a similar pilot program. On race day, Kerr will be lining up with Wave 1, which could potentially be a game changer, she says. The now three-time marathoner is glad that the earlier start time means she’ll have an official finisher time this year, but she’ll still be on the course for a long while. 

She’ll probably face some of the same issues she encountered last year, just further on. “The whole idea of not wanting to bother the fast runners makes me nervous: if it’s not an official program, do they even know?” she wonders. “Will our presence make for an uncomfortable or perhaps frustrated situation for them?”

Overall, she says she’s still excited for the race, but if it’s not doable to keep it up long term, then volunteers should at least be kept out longer, and the back-of-the-pack runners should have access to the same amenities as other runners. 

Thinking outside of the box

Snell suggests other ways to look out for slower runners on race day could include incentivizing volunteers to stay out later to cheer and support the back of the pack. “Race fees are already high and some runners are unable to participate due to the rising costs,” she says. “Offering an incentive like a discounted rate or gear to help back-of-the-pack runners will incentivize more people to help keep on these events. It may encourage a new wave of runners who are intimidated of signing up for races to consider becoming a distance runner for the long run.”

So long as there’s no ordinance preventing race organizers from doing so, she also suggests that roads be kept open a bit longer for runners, and to create mobile street teams positioned around every 5K. If funding is an issue, “perhaps networking with brands and companies to sponsor a mile or section of the course would be helpful for both racers and race directors,” she adds. 

Lastly, while representation and inclusivity in the running world has come a long way over the past few years, there’s still so much work to be done. Creating panels and conversations at expos geared toward the back-of-the-pack runners would be “incredible,” Snell says. “I don’t think there’s enough stories put out there during panels and keynotes for athletes running over 6 hours.” 

Fellow runners and spectators can help each other out, too. Dean encourages people who are planning to cheer to stay out a little longer to support beyond the 4-hour folks. “I promise you that the back-of-the-pack people are extremely grateful when you cheer for them,” she says. And if they want to provide extra support, she recommends bringing banana halves, orange peels, water, and vaseline to hand out.

Whether you’re running, cheering, or watching a live broadcast of a marathon, don’t forget the back of the pack. They deserve your support and respect, and if you’re reading this, you’re most likely a fellow runner, and you already know just how much a little encouragement can help on race day. 

“At the end of the day, we’re all running the same distance,” Dean says.

Olympians and national champions to headline stacked professional athlete field at 2023 USATF 5K Championships

Weini Kelati, Courtney Frerichs, Keira D’Amato, Woody Kincaid, and Zach Panning to race for world’s largest 5K prize purse; Nearly 10,000 runners to follow in footsteps of pros by racing Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K.

Five Olympians, one Paralympian, and four athletes who competed at this year’s World Athletics Championships will race in the 2023 USA Track & Field (USATF) 5K Championships at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday, November 4. The event will take place in Midtown Manhattan the day prior to the TCS New York City Marathon and will be broadcast live on USATF.TV. Abbott will return as the title partner of the event which features a $79,500 prize purse – the largest of any 5K race in the world.

In the women’s race, two-time NCAA champion Weini Kelati will return in search of her third consecutive title in the event. Each of the last two years she has smashed the event record, taking the tape in 15:18 in 2021 and 15:15 in 2022. She will be challenged for the top spot on the podium this year by three-time national champion Keira D’Amato, 2023 U.S. cross-country champion Ednah Kurgat, and U.S. Olympians Abbey Cooper, Courtney Frerichs, Colleen Quigley, and Rachel Smith.

“Doing the Abbott Dash 5K is becoming a little bit of a early season tradition for me,” Kelati said. “Although my fall season looked a little bit different this year because of the opportunity I had to represent Team USA at the World Road Running Championships in Latvia, I’m really happy I get to come back to New York to try for my third straight 5K national title.”

Woody Kincaid, the U.S. 10,000-meter champion and American record-holder in the indoor 5,000 meters, will lead the men’s field. Lining up against him will be Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, the top American finisher at the World Athletics Championships marathon this year Zach Panning, 2023 B.A.A. 5K champion Morgan Beadlescomb, and last year’s fourth through sixth-place finishers in New York, Ahmed Muhumed, Alec Basten, and Brian Barraza.

“I still see my career being mostly on the track for the next few years, but I like the idea of throwing in some more road races when it makes sense,” Kincaid said. “As I look towards the Paris Games, the Abbott Dash will be a nice jump-start to my 2024 training, and it will be cool to be in the middle of the big city marathon hoopla without having to go the full 26.2.”

Following in the footsteps of the professional athletes, nearly 10,000 runners will participate in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, including top local athletes and many runners in the marathon on November 5.

Abbott, the title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, is the sponsor of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K for the seventh time. Abbott, a global healthcare leader, helps people live more fully with life-changing technology and celebrate what’s possible with good health.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K annually provides TCS New York City Marathon supporters, friends, and families the opportunity to join in on the thrill of marathon race week. The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships will be broadcast live via USATF.TV. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 8:20 a.m. ET with the first race starting at 8:30 a.m. ET.

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.

Cam Levins’s bonkers workout ahead of New York City Marathon

We are less than three weeks away from Cam Levins, Canada’s marathon record holder, toeing the start line at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 5. If you have not been following his Strava workouts or recent races, you might be surprised to find out that he might be in the best shape of his life.

The 34-year-old athlete is in the final few weeks of peak training before tapering for the NYC Marathon. On Oct. 12, he threw down an impressive one-kilometer workout, maintaining an average pace of two minutes and 45 seconds per kilometer for 12 reps, with only one minute’s rest between reps.

The workout 

12 sets of 1K, with one minute of jog rest @ 2:40-2:50/km

This workout is specifically designed for those training for a half-marathon or marathon, with short rest periods to acclimatize them to a faster pace. Levins pushed his limits during this session, clocking his fastest rep at 2:40 per kilometer and his slowest at 2:51 per kilometer, resulting in an astonishing 2:45 per kilometer average pace. This pace equates to an incredible 58 minutes for a half-marathon. (His Canadian record is 60:18.)

In his last two marathon outings, Levins achieved something historic for Canada, breaking the national record on both occasions. He also secured a top-five finish at both the 2022 World Championships and the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.

Levins chose to race the New York Marathon in his build-up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The marathon course in Paris has a challenging elevation gain of more than 400 meters across 42.2 kilometers.

Of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, New York and Boston are considered the most challenging. New York’s difficulty is attributed primarily to the four bridges participants must cross as they wind through the city’s five boroughs, with the Verrazzano-Narrows and Queensboro Bridges both extending to a distance of more than one kilometer each. 

With the recent announcement that the 2022 NYC champion, Evans Chebet, and the two-time NYC champion, Geoffrey Kamworor, have both withdrawn due to injury, the 2023 race will see a new champion crowned in Central Park on Nov. 5. Could it be Levins? His fitness seems to indicate that he could–and if he does, he will be the first Canadian ever to win the New York City Marathon.

Prince William goes unnoticed on early morning Central Park run

It’s hard to imagine Prince William and an entourage of bodyguards jogging through Central Park without being swarmed by fans, but that’s apparently exactly what happened on Tuesday morning.

While onstage later in the day at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, the Prince of Wales shared that he’d very much enjoyed his morning jaunt. “I decided to join the hordes of New Yorkers doing their morning routine,” he said. “It was wonderful waking up in New York on a sunny morning rather than the rain we had yesterday. It was beautiful getting some fresh air this morning.”

The Prince clearly inherited his love of running from his family. His mother, Princess Diana, was a known fitness enthusiast and participated in races at her children’s schools, as did his father, King Charles. Queen Elizabeth was even the official starter of the 2018 London Marathon, at the age of 92.

New York is a popular place for celebrities to run, and a morning’s trek through Central Park will probably offer a glimpse or two of some well-known people. The TCS New York City Marathon, held this year on November 5, often has a star-studded line-up, with past editions including musician Alicia Keys, actors Ashton Kutcher and Bryan Cranston and Canadian fave Ryan Reynolds.

The Prince of Wales has yet to tackle the marathon, despite mentioning in 2021 that he would like to have that accomplishment under his belt. His wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, said she had her doubts. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said on Good Morning Britain.

If and when the Prince does tackle 26.2, it’s unlikely he’ll manage to run it as stealthily as he did Tuesday morning’s training session.

Kandie faces stiff opposition as he seeks to defend Valencia title

Former Valencia Half Marathon winner Kibiwott Kandie is among 14 Kenyans set to battle it out at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 22 in Spain.

Kandie, who holds the half marathon's best time of 57:32, will face tough competition from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha who holds a time of 58:32 (second best time in the marathon).

Kandie, the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon silver medalist, will be hoping to cement his name in Valencia and replicate his amazing performance back in 2020 when he set the record time in the race. 

The two will be joined by runners, who have clocked under 59 minutes in the race,  including Matthew Kimeli, winner of the 15th annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in 2019 in Central Park, New York, who holds a time of 58:43. 

Sebastian Sawe, who holds a half marathon best of 58:58 from his win at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon,  will be gunning to take the title from Kandie.

The 2022 Standard Chartered Marathon 10km bronze medalist, Bravin Kiprop, who has a time of 59:22 in the half marathon, will also be among the challengers alongside Josephat Kiprotich who won the 38th edition of the Maratona da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June.

Other Kenyan athletes in the race include Brian Kwemoi (59:37), Hillary Kipkoech (59:41), Erick Sang (59:50), Weldon Langat (59:55), Laban Kiplimo (1:00.13) and Kelvin Kibiwott (1:00.14).

Ethiopian’s Tadese Worku, 3,000m medalist at the 2021 World Athletics U20, and 5,000m world 3,000m junior record holder,  Hagos Gebrhiwet will give the Kenyans a competitive race.

Great Britain's all-time number three, Callum Robert Hawkins (1:00:00), will be looking to pull an upset for the group.

The women's challenge will be led by the 2019 world 5,000m silver medallist, Margaret Chelimo who holds a time of 1:05:26 in the marathon and she will be joined by Janet Chepngetich.

The 2020 World Half Marathon silver medalist and current European record holder over the distance, Melat Kejeta from Germany together with Ethiopia’s  2023 world cross country silver medalist, Tsigie Gebreselama will give the Kenyan ladies a tough race.

Peres Jepchirchir using Great North Run to fine tune for New York City Marathon

Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir will be competing at the Great North Run on Sunday September 10, as she gets ready to reclaim her New York City Marathon title on Sunday, November 5.

Jepchirchir missed out on last year’s event due to a hip injury but she has now recovered and will be ready to fight and reclaim her title.

She opened her season with a third-place finish at the London Marathon. The 2021 Boston Marathon champion also finished second behind Hellen Obiri at the Great Manchester Run.

The Great North Run will be a perfect place for Jepchirchir to test out her form ahead of the do-or-die assignment.

In a previous interview with New York City Marathon race organizers, Jepchirchir said: “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.

"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.”

But before the New York City Marathon, she will face tough opposition at the Great North Run where she finished second last year.

She will be up against compatriot Sharon Lokedi who will also be competing at the New York City Marathon. Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba and Great Britain’s Charlie Purdue will also be in action at the event.

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.

Hellen Obiri confirmed for New York Mini 10K

This year’s New York Mini 10K, the first women-only road race in the world, will feature Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri, New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, and defending champion Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia.

The trio will take on the tough Central Park course on Saturday, June 10 with the hope of displaying great results.

Obiri will be making her debut in the race after winning the New York City Half Marathon in March and the Boston Marathon in April. She opened her season with a win at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February. 

“There is no greater feeling than having my daughter watch me win races, and having her with me when I won the United Airlines NYC Half and Boston Marathon this year was truly special.

"Now, I’m looking forward to lining up for the women-only Mastercard Mini 10K for the first time, and having so many girls from the next generation watch me race, just like my daughter does,” said Obiri.

On her part, Lokedi could not make it to the Boston Marathon earlier this year after she got an injury during the last days of her training.

She will be returning to Central Park for the first time since winning the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon in her marathon debut in November. She was also the runner-up at last year’s Mastercard New York Mini 10K.

“The last time I was in New York, my entire life changed when I won the New York City Marathon. This iconic city will now always hold a special place in my heart and I’m eager to keep improving and show that I’m on top of the podium to stay,” Lokedi said.

Meanwhile, Teferi, the 2022 New York City Half Marathon champion, expressed her excitement towards winning last year’s event and was hopeful of winning another title.

International Stars and Record-Holders to Clash at New York Mini 10K

TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi to challenge Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri; record-holders Emily Sisson and Keira D’Amato to lead Americans.

This year’s Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, the first women-only road race in the world, will feature Olympians, Paralympians, national-record holders and past event champions in what is expected to be the largest race in the event’s 51-year history with around 9,000 runners on Saturday, June 10 in Central Park.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the first women-only road race known then as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, has gone on to garner more than 200,000 total finishers to date. Former NYRR President Fred Lebow named the race after the miniskirt, which back then was in vogue. A total of 72 women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

The open division will be headlined by TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya, and two-time Olympian and defending event champion Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia. Joining them will be a strong American contingent led by Olympian and U.S. marathon record-holder Emily Sisson, and U.S. 10-mile record holder Keira D’Amato.

Lokedi, who will return to Central Park for the first time since winning the TCS New York City Marathon in her marathon debut in November, was the runner-up at last year’s Mastercard® New York Mini 10K. Obiri, a two-time Olympic and seven-time world championships medalist, will be making her debut in the race after winning the United Airlines NYC Half in March and the Boston Marathon in April.

“The last time I was in New York, my entire life changed when I won the TCS New York City Marathon,” Lokedi said. “This iconic city will now always hold a special place in my heart and I’m eager to keep improving and show that I’m on top of the podium to stay.”

“There is no greater feeling than having my daughter watch me win races, and having her with me when I won the United Airlines NYC Half and Boston Marathon this year was truly special,” Obiri said. “Now, I’m looking forward to lining up for the women-only Mastercard Mini 10K for the first time, and having so many girls from the next generation watch me race, just like my daughter does.”

Teferi is a two-time Olympian who won the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half in an event-record time and returned to Central Park three months later to win her first Mastercard® New York Mini 10K. She is also a two-time World Championships silver medalist and the 5K world-record holder for a women-only race.

“Winning the 50th edition of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K last year was very emotional for me, and I was proud to lead thousands of women in celebration,” Teferi said. “I’m excited to return to Central Park again, which has been so kind to me in recent visits.”

Susannah Scaroni, a two-time Paralympic medalist, is the most dominant woman in wheelchair racing now as the defending champion of the TCS New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon, and Chicago Marathon. She has won the wheelchair division of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K every year since it first began in 2018, and has previously set the world-best 10K mark at the race. This year, in addition to racing the likes of U.S. Paralympians Jenna Fesemyer and Hannah Dederick in the wheelchair division, she will serve as an ambassador for the NYRR Run for the Future program at the event.

NYRR Run for the Future is a free seven-week program is for high school girls in New York City with little to no running experience. It introduces participants to running and wellness through practices and panels focused on mental health, nutrition, and body image – some of which Scaroni has helped lead. At the end of the seven weeks, participants will take part in their first-ever 5K at the Mini 10K with Scaroni cheering them on at the finish line. Mastercard® will make a donation of $10,000 to NYRR Run for the Future – $5,000 on behalf of the open division champion and $5,000 on behalf of the wheelchair division champion.

“I’ve been fortunate to compete at this event since the addition of the professional wheelchair division to the Mini 10K in 2018, and I’ve absolutely loved everything about competing at this race,” Scaroni said. “This year, I’m thrilled to be giving back to NYRR and the next generation of women at the event by serving as an NYRR Run for the Future Ambassador cheering on the Run for the Future participants as they run their first-ever 5K will be incredible.”

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division and $2,500 to the winner of the wheelchair division.

The professional athlete races will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET. Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the third time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

What you need to know before running outdoors

You’ve been cooped up watching reruns of “Friends” on the treadmill all winter. So when the temperature pushes 60, you grab your sneakers and jump at the opportunity to get some fresh air while you pound the pavement.

Most of us don’t even think twice about changing up the location of our runs. After all, running is running right?

Not quite, says Michael Conlon, physical therapist, running coach and owner of Finish Line Physical Therapy in New York City. While it’s great to get outdoors, being aware of the subtle differences between running on a treadmill and jogging outside is essential in easing your body through the transition and reducing your risk of injury.

“More experienced runners will probably say it’s harder to stay on a treadmill and do a 10-12 mile run because it’s so boring,” says Conlon. “But taking that out of account, to run outside after being indoors is harder; you have so many other factors: wind, weather, terrain. It’s definitely more difficult and something you’ll have to get used to.”

Here are the key things to be aware of before making the switch.

A Better way to run outdoors

Use the change of seasons as a cue to invest in new sneakers. Exactly how often this needs to be done varies, depending on how much running you do, your body size and the shoe type, says Conlon. “The lighter the shoe, the less durable it typically is. On average, we should get new sneakers every 2-3 months or 200-300 miles, maybe a little more with some heavier, more durable shoes.” Which means if you’ve been running on a treadmill all winter, the change in season might be a great time to invest in a new pair. “You’ll start not only notice the physical wear of the shoe, but feel it,” says Conlon. “It’s almost like riding a bike with a little less air in the tire, you’ll feel a little bit of that resistance, you’ll feel every nook and cranny in the road, like pebbles or debris, you’ll feel your calves working a little harder and that there’s less shock absorption.”

Don’t forget to warm up. It can be easier in a gym setting to remember to warm up, but “make sure you properly warm up the body; include some type of myofascial release/foam rolling, as well as global, three-dimensional functional stretches, not just a static stretch routine,” says Conlon. He also recommends implementing running drills unto the warm-up, which can help you work on your form and posture prior to your workout.

Choose the right terrain. Should you head to the park? Run the track at the local high school? Or simply run around the neighborhood? “In general, most people say the softer surfaces like a dirt trail are easier on the body; they allow the soft tissue structure to absorb more, so there’s less impact on the joints and the bones,” says Conlon. “Concrete is the hardest, asphalt has a little more give and dirt trails are softest.” He also adds that as we age, we may prefer the trails to the concrete sidewalk. “An older person doesn’t have the same elasticity as when they’re younger in terms of the soft tissue structure, so they might like a softer surface,” says Conlon.

Our bodies expend less energy running on a treadmill than running outdoors.

Know that you may be sore, even if you’ve been running all winter. Our bodies expend less energy running on a treadmill than running outdoors. Using the incline feature can help close that gap: Studies show that running on a 1% incline requires a similar amount of energy as running outdoors. But how many of us actually increase the incline every time we hit the treadmill for a jog? Because of that, running outdoors will likely feel harder. Your running terrain makes a difference too: “One thing about trails that people often don’t think about is it’s an unstable surface, if you’re going to be on rocks or having to move around a little bit, a lot of the stabilizers in our hips and ankles are going to work harder so you’ll hear a lot of people say the next day that they’re more sore than usual."

Cut back on intensity at first. Knowing that it will require your body to expend more energy and that many more variables are in flux, Conlon suggests people ease into it. “Everything is constant on a treadmill, outside is much more variable because you have things like wind, weather, terrain, uphill and downhill, and even your own pace is hard to be constant with,” he says. He encourages people to be aware of these variables, start at a conversational pace and focus on building up aerobic capacity. “Running at too hard of an effort and doing too much, too soon are the biggest mistakes we typically see in physical therapy. So if you’re just starting out, run outside every other day so you don’t have two days back to back,” Conlon says. If you’re used to hopping on the treadmill and logging 5 miles in 50 minutes, Conlon suggests starting with a 30-minutes outdoor run. “It doesn’t have to mean cutting back where you’re doing a run/walk program, but just modify a little bit to account for the variability your body isn't used to.”

You may need to adjust your form. “A lot of treadmill runners tend to be heel strikers because the treadmill is basically running you, you’re not running the treadmill,” says Conlon. “So when coming off, it’s good to work on a more efficient foot strike, where you’re landing more in your midfoot or forefoot. You can also do things with cadence: every mile, count how many times your right foot strikes the ground to get an idea of what your cadence is. The ideal cadence is 90 steps per minute.”

Go for time instead of distance. “I am a big advocate for running for time versus miles,” says Conlon. “A body knows time it doesn’t really understand what a mile is. Mentally, it’s also easier. You tell someone to run 3 miles it’s can be overwhelming. You may run a 6-minute pace, I may run a 12-minute pace, so to say 3 miles, that’s a lot more volume for me than it is for you, that’s going to take me 36 minutes versus taking you 18 minutes. Running [for time] keeps everyone on the same stress level. If we’re both running 30 minutes it doesn’t really matter what pace we’re running, we’re still both running for the same amount of time.”

Switch up your variables. We all get into the habit of running certain loops around the neighborhood or heading to the same trail at the park. But Conlon urges athletes to switch up the variables often. “Think about Central Park, if I’m going around that counter clockwise direction, which is what the majority of the runners do, because of the slight slant in the road that goes inward, my right foot is always over pronating, my left foot is under pronating, so it’s nice to change that direction.” He also encourages runners to change surfaces (trade the hiking trail for a track once a week); and change speeds. “Do some sort of speed workout; it takes runners out of the repetitive gait, so their knees are bending a little more and their hips are going deeper into their range of motion. Changing things from workout to workout elongates tissues and helps incorporates other muscle groups that can absorb some of the impact.”

Cheptegei, Kiplimo To Renew Their Rivalry At United Airlines NYC Half

Standing in Times Square this morning, Jacob Kiplimo and Joshua Cheptegei looked like any other tourists visiting one of this city's most famous landmarks. Their hands thrust into their jacket pockets to ward off the late winter cold, the two Ugandans took in the sights while engaging in friendly conversation and taking a few selfies. Neither had ever been to New York City.

But on Sunday at the 16th edition of the United Airlines NYC Half, America's largest half-marathon with about 25,000 finishers, they will return to their more familiar roles as rivals. Kiplimo, 22, the reigning World Athletics half-marathon and cross country champion, and Cheptegei, 26, the reigning Olympic and World Athletics 10,000m champion, will face each other again just 29 days after the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia. There --in hot, humid and windy conditions-- Kiplimo won the gold medal in a last-lap breakaway relegating Cheptegei, who was the event's reigning champion, to the bronze medal position. Both are savoring the chance to race head to head again, but their rivalry is clearly a friendly one.

"I'm happy to be competing together with Joshua," said Kiplimo, the world record holder for the half-marathon, with a relaxed smile. He beat Cheptegei in 2020 World Athletics Half-Marathon Championships where he was the surprise gold medalist and Cheptegei finished fourth in his first and only half-marathon. He added: "On Sunday we're going to try our best, I'm going to try my best."

Cheptegei said, "absolutely, yes," when asked if he was motivated to race against Kiplimo. "I would really give everything to win," he told Race Results Weekly. "But you never know what goes in the race."

According to the respected statistics website Tilastopaja Oy, Cheptegei has a 6-0 record over Kiplimo in track races at 5000m and 10,000m. In the half-marathon, Kiplimo won in their only meeting, and at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships they are tied 1-1. Cheptegei was the gold medalist in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2019 where Kiplimo took the silver.

But their biggest rival on Sunday just might be the course. When the race debuted as a summer event back in 2006, the course went from Engineers' Gate in Central Park to a stretch of the West Side Highway just north of Battery Park in lower Manhattan. Runners enjoyed a total elevation loss of 30 meters, and in the final 10 kilometers the athletes were often helped by a tailwind as the prevailing winds in New York City come from the north and west. But in 2018 New York Road Runners changed the course to encompass more of the city's residential neighborhoods, and it now goes from Prospect Park in Brooklyn to Central Park in Manhattan. The opening nine kilometers feature several significant hills, including a steep climb up the Manhattan Bridge where the runners cross from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

"I saw in the TV that some is a little bit tough," Kiplimo said of the course. He added: "I think it will be very difficult, but actually for me it's not so difficult because we'll just be running up and down. It's almost the same (as) World Cross."

Cheptegei, who has reached the point in his track career that he has begun thinking about his marathon debut, didn't seem too worried about the course and was already looking ahead to a possible run at the TCS New York City Marathon which also has a hilly course.

"They haven't told me so many things about the course," Cheptegei said. "They told me about the New York full marathon course, where the race is mostly decided, especially on the climb." He continued: "About Sunday, really excited to run my second half-marathon. I've really thought about it, and maybe in the future when I go to marathons maybe New York can be my final destination."

Both men said they had recovered well since their race in Bathurst, and Cheptegei said he had picked up some additional fitness.

"I think I had a lot of time to recover," he said. "I had to continue with my training because I was sure that I was actually going to be invited for the New York Half-Marathon. Everything has been going along well. My shape is actually better than cross country so I hope that I can run a good half-marathon."

NYRR is offering a $120,000 prize money purse for Sunday's race. Twenty-thousand dollars will be paid to the winners in the open male and female categories, while the wheelchair winners will receive $4,000. There is special prize money for NYRR members in the male, female and non-binary categories ($1500 for each category winner).

This year's United NYC Half comes three years after the 2020 race was abruptly cancelled at the outset of the pandemic. The 2021 edition of the race was also cancelled, and in 2022 the race was held at nearly full capacity with 22,335 finishers recorded. NYRR's new president and CEO, Rob Simmelkjaer, was clearly excited to oversee his first major event since becoming the organization's head in December, 2022.

"We can't wait to welcome 25,000 runners to the starting line," said Rob Simmelkjaer, who pronounces his last name SIM-el-care. He continued: "People are running more now than ever before."

The 2023 United Airlines NYC Half will be broadcast locally by WABC-TV channel 7 as part of their Sunday morning news broadcast. The pro races, which begin at 7:00 a.m. local time, can be streamed on both the NYRR's Facebook (https://twitter.com/nyrr) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/nyrr) pages, and will also be available via the ESPN app and the WABC website (https://abc7ny.com/)

Joshua Cheptegei will battle Jacob Kiplimo and Galen Rupp at 2023 United Airlines NYC Half

 The 2023 United Airlines NYC Half on Sunday, March 19 will feature professional athletes from 17 different countries, including 19 Olympians, 11 Paralympians, and seven past event champions, making it one of the most diverse fields in the race’s history.

The men’s open division will be headlined by Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei, half-marathon world-record holder Jacob Kiplimo, and Olympic medalist Galen Rupp. Defending champion Senbere Teferi, Olympic and World Championships medalist Hellen Obiri, and three-time event champion Molly Huddle will lead the women’s open division. A trio of past TCS New York City Marathon and United Airlines NYC Half champions – Susannah Scaroni, Manuela Schär, and Daniel Romanchuk – will feature in the strongest wheelchair field in event history, which will also welcome Paralympic medalists Catherine Debrunner and Jetze Plat for the first time.

These athletes will lead more than 25,000 runners at the United Airlines NYC Half, which goes from Brooklyn to Manhattan, passing historic landmarks, diverse neighborhoods and sweeping views of the city along the way before ending in Central Park.

Men’s Open Division

A pair of Ugandans, two-time Olympic and four-time World Championships medalist Cheptegei and Olympic medalist and two-time World Champion Kiplimo, will race head-to-head in the men’s open division as they take on an NYRR race for the first time. At 26 years old, Cheptegei is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the 5,000 meters and world champion in the 10,000 meters, as well as the world-record holder in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. In November 2021, Kiplimo set the half marathon world record of 57:31 to win the Lisbon Half three months after taking a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 10,000 meters. Then last year, the 22-year-old won bronze in the 10,000 meters at the World Championships. He won the gold medal, ahead of Cheptegei’s bronze, at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, on February 18.

“I’m very excited for my first race in New York City, the United Airlines NYC Half,” said Cheptegei. “One of the primary goals for 2023 is to defend my 10,000-meter gold medal from the World Championships, and this half marathon is an important part of those preparations. The race seems like a great tour of New York City and it’s very cool that we get to run through Times Square. There’s so much running history in New York, and the city has seen so many champions battling it out in iconic races. I want to add to that history.”

“It will be my USA road racing debut at the United Airlines NYC Half next month, and I will try hard to become the first champion from Uganda,” Kiplimo said. “My gold medal from the World Cross Country Championships last weekend shows that everybody will need to be at their best to beat me. I have been told that the NYC Half course is difficult, and a record may not be possible, so I will focus on being the first across the finish line in Central Park.”

Challenging the Ugandan pair will be two-time U.S. Olympic medalist and Chicago Marathon champion Rupp, last year’s United Airlines NYC Half runner-up Edward Cheserek of Kenya, and past event champions Ben True of the United States and Belay Tilahun of Ethiopia.

Women’s Open DivisionTwo-time Olympian Huddle will be racing the United Airlines NYC Half for the first time since taking her third consecutive victory in the event in 2017. Huddle won the race in 2015, 2016, and 2017, with her winning time of 1:07:41 from 2016 setting an event record that stood until last year. The former American record-holder in the half marathon was fifth at the Houston Half Marathon in January, nine months after giving birth to her daughter.

“In a lot of ways, my three-straight wins at the United Airlines NYC Half really began my transition to full-time road racing. I’m excited to return to the race for the first time in six years, with a different mindset towards training and racing since the birth of my daughter,” Huddle said. “I’m inspired to teach her the value of hard work and resilience, and where better to do that than the city that has seen some of my career’s greatest successes?”

Huddle will line up against Ethiopia’s two-time Olympian Teferi, who last year broke Huddle’s event record, finishing in a time of 1:07:35 to win the race, and returned to Central Park three months later to win her first Mastercard New York Mini 10K. She is also a two-time World Championships silver medalist and the 5K world-record holder for a women-only race.

Two-time Olympic medalist and seven-time world championships medalist Obiriof Kenya, three-time Olympian and four-time European Championships medalist Eilish McColgan, andtwo-time U.S. Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden will also toe the line.

The event will be covered locally in the tri-state area by ABC New York, Channel 7 with live news cut-ins between 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Additionally, the four professional fields will be covered by a livestream, distributed internationally from NYRR’s digital channels, abc7ny.com, and the ESPN App, beginning at 7:00 a.m. ET.

This Musician Runs the Streets of New York City to Enhance His Creativity

Running is both energizing and calming for Jesse Malin.

Name: Jesse Malin Age: 55 Hometown: New York, New York Occupation: Musician Time Running: 25+ years Reason for Running: I run to feel energized, but running also calms me and gives me time to think and be creative.

I started running officially in my late 20s. I was always a hyper kid growing up, and running seemed a natural way to get rid of some energy. My nervous energy and anxiety seemed to subside when I was on a run and afterward. I felt cleansed. 

In the 90s, I was playing with the band D Generation and I started to notice that if I was running regularly leading up to a tour, I had more energy and could withstand high-energy performances on stage. I just felt better. 

About 20 years ago, I was training for my first New York City Marathon and also promoting a show I was doing with my new band. I was putting up flyers with Scotch tape around the city—which is illegal—and the police picked me up. Because it was a Friday, I subsequently landed in jail for two nights, and I missed that marathon. I got out of jail that Monday and they dropped the charge, but I was so disappointed and angry at the city and the police for taking it to that level. Still, I didn’t give up on running.

My buddy and I ran Central Park the next day and he said it was the fastest he had ever seen me run. I still wonder if it was the training or being locked up with all that emotion for two days that gave me the extra speed—a combo, probably.

Today, when I’m not touring, I run anywhere from three to five miles regularly, usually around New York City. One of my favorite runs is the “three bridges” run, which goes from near my Lower East Side house into other boroughs. I love seeing the river on my side and the tall bridges above me. It’s not very crowded. Once I am out there, I feel I have to stay and complete the run to the last bridge and back. There aren’t always a lot of cabs or trains to get me home, so I have to finish.

As a musician, I’ve found that running is the best cure for writer’s block. Running really helps to wake up my creative juices and get the blood flowing. It’s a time for me to work on my own lyrics. Who knows, maybe it will help me live longer, too. 

Running is also a great time for me to listen to other artist’s music. I love fast songs from bands such as Motorhead, The Ramones, and Bad Brains. I also like to listen to new things I am writing or working on, too. It’s a good way to sort out what’s working and what isn’t. 

On the flip side, running is also a quiet meditative time for me. Sometimes no music is great—and it’s a good time to hear what’s in my head. A lot of times I prefer to have a conversation with myself and work things out. 

I’ve gone out running on the coldest and even hottest days in New York City, and always feel motivated when I see other people running. I also enjoy running with friends on occasion. Having someone to push you is motivating. 

I’ve also found running helps me sleep better. I’m a fan of natural living as much as possible, and if I wake up with anxiety or have some thoughts, I need to work out. I always know going for a run can help me see a bigger perspective.

The rock/punk rock music industry is associated with a lot of drug use, and being destructive and unhealthy at times. It’s that whole mentality of live fast and die young, but I’ve always been about positivity—you can be wild and free and have something to say about society, but you don’t need drugs to do that.

When I’m on the road, I enjoy getting out of the hotel and exploring whatever city I’m in. It keeps me together, calms me down, and just centers me before a show. Because I’ve found that the audience relates when you have something to say about their city, it’s a good way to get to know a place. 

I enjoy running around London—to me, it’s a lot like New York—and has good parks for running, including Hyde, Regents, and Greenwich. I wouldn’t be brave enough to run in the streets because I would have to dodge the traffic coming from the opposite way! 

Also, when I’ve been touring, I’ve woken up at weird hours because of the time changes, and show schedules, so always being able to go for a run resets me while on the road. Sometimes it means a treadmill, but as long as it can crank up to the speed I want, I’m happy with it. Still, I always prefer running outside. 

Once I got into running and it became part of my life, I felt like I had a special remedy in my back pocket; a special thing that I could bring with me anywhere, at any time. Running offers me a freedom and kind of a medicine, but more than that, a place of peace that I can tap into when I need it. 

I always like to remember how powerful a new day can be. Each morning when the sun bursts up, if I can jump out of bed and if I can get a run in, I feel so much better. It’s that forward motion that keeps me going, inspired, and happy. 

Until I really started running, I was unaware of how great and helpful forward motion is for creativity. I have so much going on in my head and in my life that standing still doesn’t always open new channels of inspiration. I crave the energy, but also the motion. It is somehow easier to write new things and see the world clearer with a different perspective than when you are at a desk or on a couch, or, for that matter, a studio or practice room. I like the positive vibes and the blood flow waking you up. 

I think no run is too short. Like so many wonderful things in life, if you just do it, it will become easier to do more. Take the pressure off yourself and start with short distances, a mile or so. You will find yourself feeling so good that you will end up doing more and surprising yourself. Like the good folks in the band Parliament Funkadelic have said, “Free your ass and your mind will follow.” 

These tips have made my running journey a success:

1. Don’t compare yourself to others

Go at whatever pace feels good to you.

2. Stay hydrated

Drink lots of water or organic juices, like coconut. 

3. Bring some music or an audiobook on long runs

It helps pass the time and can be motivating.

Jesse’s Must-Have Gear

→ Adidas Track Suit: Like Run DMC, I like this because it’s light and easy to wear when you get up to those long fast miles and the burn is on.

→ Nike Air Zoom Pegasus: They feel smooth, light and unobtrusive. You forget you have them on in a good way, but yet I still feel secure and protected on the crazy city streets. 

→ Bad Brains: This band, who play so tight and precise, makes me want to do my best out there. Their music gives me focus and a power like I am on a mission to get down those miles. They’re lyrical message of PMA—Positive Mental Attitude—in songs like “Attitude” and “Rock for Light” lets me know I am not alone on this journey and that the struggles are part of the ride.

Kenyan graffiti artist Bankslave creates a mural for the GOAT in downtown Nairobi

The marathon world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, was on hand with his kids for the unveiling of a mural in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in his honor.

Kipchoge posted the mural on his social media with his two sons, Griffin and Jordon. The mural was created by renowned Kenyan graffiti artist Bankslave, who is well known in Nairobi as a voice of social change and expressionism.

The mural is located on Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue, which is the main road that enters the city’s central park (Nairobi National Park). In the past, Bankslave has also created murals of Barack Obama and Muhammed Ali. This isn’t the first time Bankslave has sketched the Kenyan marathon star—he made a mural of him and Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie inside a coffee shop in 2021.

The 38-year-old marathoner is a two-time Olympic champion with 10 Abbott World Marathon Major victories to his resume. Kipchoge has won four of the six majors and is set to compete at the Boston Marathon for the first time in April 2023 before setting his sight on the 2024 Olympic Marathon in Paris.

The bottom of the mural reads 1:59:40, representing Kipchoge’s mind-boggling sub-two-hour time at the INEOS-1:59 event in 2019, where he became the first man to (unofficially) break the two-hour barrier. The top of the mural has his famous inspirational quote, “No Human is Limited.”

An NFT (non-fungible token) of the Kipchoge mural is up for sale on the blockchain website OpenSea and has been listed for three Ethereum coins (approximately $5,100). 

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.”

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.

Abdihamid Nur Dominates, Runs Off Course, & Still Wins, Kelati Gets Record

The day before 50,000 runners cross the finish line in Central Park at the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon, some of America’s fastest pros did the same at the USATF 5K Road Championships — though the fastest of them all, men’s champion Abdihamid Nur, almost missed it. Despite a very late wrong turn, Nur, 24, won his first US title in a course record of 13:24 after kicking away from US steeplechase champion Hillary Bor (13:29) in the final mile.

On the women’s side, Weini Kelati rolled to her second straight title in 15:16, gapping the field thanks to a quick first mile and running unchallenged from there to lower her own course record of 15:18. The B.A.A.’s Erika Kemp (15:30) was second, improving on her 2021 finish by one place, while Emily Infeld (15:30) was third in her first race as a member of Team Boss. Both Kelati and Nur claimed $12,000 for the win.

Four thoughts from a beautiful morning for racing in New York.

Abdihamid Nur wins his first national title…but how the heck did he make a wrong turn 15 meters from the finish line?

It’s always tricky knowing who is in shape for this race as most pro runners aren’t in top shape in November. Based on 5k personal best and 2022 form, however, Abdihamid Nur should probably have been the favorite and he looked great throughout the race, hanging onto Hillary Bor early as Bor pushed the pace before making his move in Central Park and opening up a cushion.

That cushion would prove necessary. It’s not uncommon to see an athlete make a wrong turn when the lead vehicle pulls off the course near the finish line, but I can’t ever remember someone doing it as late in the race as Nur. The finish line was in clear sight and only about 15 meters away when Nur veered to the left and tried to follow the lead car. It was a chaotic sight.

"The finish line was right there, but I just knew it,” Nur said. “They told me to follow the car, so I didn’t know that the car wasn’t going to the finish line. I’m glad Hillary wasn’t too close, because it was a mistake I could afford.”

Chalk it up to a rookie mistake — this was Nur’s first road race as a pro.

Nur’s time of 13:24 was very quick considering the undulating New York course. He smashed Paul Chelimo‘s course record of 13:45 and was just four seconds off Ben True‘s American record of 13:20 from the 2017 B.A.A. 5K. Nur’s wrong turn definitely cost him a second or two, but he didn’t know if it cost him the record.

“Maybe, who knows?” Nur said. “But I’m still happy with the win.”

(Note: David Monti points out that Grant Fisher‘s 13:01 at the Diamond League 5k final in September is considered the American road record because it came on an irregular 563-meter track, though that record has yet to be ratified by USATF. As far as LetsRun is concerned, you shouldn’t be able to set a road record on a track so True still has the record.)

The win capped a banner year for Nur, who won a pair of NCAA titles indoors, set the collegiate 5k record, made the Worlds team outdoors, and signed a pro deal with Nike. He’s still based in Flagstaff and even though the NAU men have struggled more than usual this year, he’s predicting a national title for them and his former teammate Nico Young at the NCAA XC champs in Stillwater in two weeks.“Coach Smith’s gonna have them ready for NCAAs,” Nur said. “I think they’re going to win and my boy Nico’s going to take the individual title.”

Weini Kelati is never that far from fitness

If it seems like Weini Kelati is always in shape, that’s because it’s true. She took a month off after the track season, but returned to training in September and quickly found herself in good shape. Today she ran 15:16 to win by 14 seconds and break the course record by two seconds — one set by Kelati in this event last year.

“What’s interesting about my body is it’s just not hard to build,” Kelati said. “I can get in 10 days, 80% of my fitness.”

Kelati, 25, has already found a lot of success on the roads in her young pro career. With her cross country background (Foot Locker and NCAA champ) and front-running style, she seems a natural fit for the half and, eventually, full marathon, but so far she has yet to race beyond 10k. When will we see her in the half?

“I’m not sure how soon,” Kelati said. “But I’m looking forward [to it]?”

Could we see her in a half in 2023?

“Let’s see, I don’t know,” she said with a smile. “Maybe.”

What we know for sure is that Kelati is not done racing on the track. After just missing out on a spot at Worlds in 2022 (she was 4th in the 5,000, 5th in the 10,000 at USAs), Kelati wants to make the team next year.

“I’m really excited to run road races and half marathon and stuff, but I have unfinished business on the track and I want to clear it up first,” Kelati said.

Kelati also said that during her break from running this summer, she got the opportunity to see her mother for the first time since she defected from her native Eritrea in 2014. The two were able to visit Uganda together, where they spent three weeks together.

“We were both in shock,” Kelati said. “For a week, we couldn’t believe [it]. She just [kept] touching me like, I can’t believe this is real. We both cried happy tears in the airport.”

Though Kelati had been able to talk to her mother over the phone since her arrival in the US, their conversations were never very long. In Uganda, they made up for lost time, often staying up until 4 a.m. catching up on all they had missed in each other’s lives the last eight years.

“The first 14 days, we just talked,” Kelati said.

Kelati said she emerged from the trip feeling renewed.

“That makes me feel like it’s a new beginning, a fresh start for me,” Kelati said.

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.

How Fast Will These Celebrities Run the 2022 NYC Marathon?

From actors to former pro athletes, there are quite a few notable people running the Big Apple’s big race on November 6.

Celebrities—they’re just like us. They eat breakfast, they go to work, and they run marathons too! 

The 2022 New York City Marathon fast approaches, which means 50,000 runners will stand on the starting line in Staten Island ready to cover 26.2 miles. Among them are TV stars, Olympians, models, and race car drivers, all hoping to achieve the same goal as everyone else—cross the finish line in Central Park.

So what celebs and notables are racing the NYC Marathon this year? Take a look! You might spot them cruising the streets of the Big Apple on November 6.

1 Amy Robach, Amy Robach, co-host of ABC News’ GMA3: What You Need to Know and 20/20, is running her fourth marathon. The 49-year-old completed NYC in 2019, Berlin in 2021, and Chicago just a month ago. Her co-host, TJ Holmes, is also running. The pair ran the NYC Half together earlier this year.

2 Ashton Kutcher, Ashton Kutcher is multiple-time Teen Choice Award-winning actor who has been prominently featured in film and television ever since he appeared on That ’70s Show in the ’90s and early aughts. The 44-year-old will race his first-ever marathon in support of his nonprofit, Thorn, which aims to eliminate child sexual abuse from the internet.

3 Casey Neistat, Casey Neistat is a filmmaker and YouTube star who has done everything from build an app to start a podcast to film documentaries. He has completed the New York City Marathon five times, with a course best of 3:03:17 from 2013. The 41-year-old recently moved back to his native New York from Los Angeles, so the race is a homecoming of sorts.

4 Claire Holt Actress Claire Holt, 34, is most famous for her roles in H20: Just Add Water, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries and its sequel The Originals. She’s racing to raise money for the Boston Children’s Hospital.

5 Ellie Kemper You might know her best as Kimmy Schmidt or Erin Hannon, but actress and comedian Ellie Kemper is playing herself as she runs 26.2 miles over the streets of New York. The 42-year-old will race to support The Brotherhood Sister Sol, an organization that educates, organizes, and trains Black and Latinx youth to challenge inequality and create opportunity.

6 Lauren Ridloff Forget fighting zombies and celestial beings—The Walking Dead and The Eternals star has to push through her first marathon. The actress, 44, is raising money to support PS 347, a New York City public school serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

7 Marit Bjørgen Norweigian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen has earned 15 Olympic medals. How will she fare without her skis? The 42-year-old has set a lofty goal for herself—a sub-3:00 time.

8 Matt James The Bachelor star Matt James ran his first marathon in Chicago in 2019. Since then, he’s caught the bug, completing last year’s New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon earlier this spring. The 30-year-old will run to support ABC Food Tours.

9 Meghan Duggan Olympic gold medal hockey player and New Jersey Devils Director of Player Development Meghan Duggan is trading in her skates for running shoes. All 26.2 of her miles are in support of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

10 Monica Puig Another Olympian on this list? Retired tennis player Monica Puig struck gold in singles at Rio. Now, she’ll have a new athletic challenge—completing a marathon. Tennis players run much farther than you think over the course of a match, so watch for her to run a fast time. 

11 Nev Schulman The host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show is no stranger to the New York City Marathon, having run it multiple times. The 38-year-old even grew up near the finish line. Schulman will run to support NYRR Team for Kids.

12 Nicole BriscoeNicole Briscoe is used to commentating on races as a NASCAR anchor on ESPN. But during the New York City Marathon, she’ll be the one on the road herself—no car needed.

13 Pia Wurtzbach Model and actress Pia Wurtzbach, who won the Miss Universe pageant in 2015, chases her first marathon finish in Central Park. The 33-year-old is prepared, having recently finished a 20-mile long run.

14 Ryan Briscoe As a professional IndyCar driver, Ryan Briscoe is always ready to race. Except this time, he’ll have to leave his car behind. His wife Nicole Briscoe, mentioned earlier, is also running, making the NYC Marathon a family affair.

15 Sierra Boggess The original Ariel in Broadway’s The Little Mermaid, Sierra Boggess is running the New York City Marathon with her sister Allegra. The sisters have teamed up to raise money for the Cancer Support Community.

16 Tiki Barber, It wouldn’t be a New York City Marathon without legendary New York Giants football player Tiki Barber. The 47-year-old, who also co-hosts Tiki & Tierney, has completed the last seven editions of the Big Apple’s premier road race. Will this year be his best finish? 

17 TJ Holmes, Veteran journalist TJ Holmes takes his talent to the marathon course. The 42-year-old will race with his co-host of ABC News’ GMA3: What You Need to Know, Amy Robach. He beat his co-host by just a step in the NYC Half earlier this year, but who will come out on top when the distance is doubled?

18 Zac Clarkhe Bachelorette star Zac Clark finished the Boston Marathon earlier this year and has run the New York City Marathon seven times. Will he best his personal record of 3:48:43 from 2014?

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.

This Ultrarunner Outlasted a Fully Charged Tesla

Bobbie Balenger ran a staggering 242 miles in three days, covering more distance than an electric vehicle on a single charge.

Endurance runner Robbie Balenger set a world record last year when he completed 16 laps of the Central Park Loop Challenge, running a total of 100 miles in the course of a single day. His most recent ultrarunning accomplishment—attempting to run further than a Tesla electric car on a single charge—is the subject of a new documentary from Ten Thousand, as part of their ongoing Feats of Strength series. 

Firstly, the Tesla sets off from the same starting point where Balenger will begin his run, and is driven across the state of Texas until its battery is depleted, which occurs after 242 miles. Balenger then assigns himself 72 hours to surpass that distance on foot, a feat which he expects to be as challenging mentally as it will be physically. 

It's just between my two ears, that battle," he says. "And that battle can get pretty lonely." However, he embraces the unpleasant aspects of the experience, like the physical discomfort, fatigue, and soreness which persist and only get worse as he covers more distance.

"I say that running is the inverse of a drug," he continues. "With drugs, you feel really good while you're doing it, then you feel like shit afterwards. With running, especially when you get into it, you feel like shit while you're doing it then you get to feel great afterwards."

At the halfway mark of 121 miles, Balenger pauses for an hour and 50 minutes of rest. He is then joined for the second stretch by a number of other endurance athletes, including Ironman triathlete Nick Bare and distance runner Hellah Sidibe, who run alongside him while offering encouragement. 

46 hours in, at 5:30 a.m., Balenger takes another 50-minute nap before heading into his third and final day of running. "One of the things that draws me to these things is you are so aware of yourself and being alive while doing it," he says. "Through the pain, all of it, every sense is heightened."

After 76 hours 54 minutes, Balenger has run a total distance of 242.01 miles, outlasting the Tesla in terms of distance even if he went over his original time target of 72 hours. Ultimately, he says he is grateful to all of the people who helped him on his journey, and proud of himself and what he has accomplished.

"The bigger picture in life is just follow-through," he says. "You break through these versions of yourself, and tear it away and come out a new person, which I think happens for everyone as we evolve through chapters in life, but what's interesting is ones that happen so quickly... There's very few experiences in life where you look back three days later and you're like, I do not recognize that person." 

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.

50 Years After Title IX: The landmark legislation has had a profound impact on gender equality but it hasn’t fixed everything

It’s been a year of celebration for women in sports, but particularly for women in running. We honored the first women to officially enter the Boston Marathon 50 years ago. We marked the 50th anniversary of the Mini 10K in Central Park this summer— “the world’s original all-women’s road race.” It’s also been 50 years since the “six who sat” protested at the starting line of the New York City Marathon, fighting for the right to compete in the same race as the men.

But perhaps the biggest anniversary of all is 50 years of Title IX, the bill that in 37 succinct words changed everything:

“No person in the United State shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to other discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

A half century ago, on June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the civil rights legislation into law, and the effects have rippled ever since. It altered education significantly across the country, barring sex discrimination in schools, creating opportunities in sports, and, ultimately, allowing women to enter careers that were once completely dominated by men.

It seems unfathomable to today’s youth that, not long ago, these were not guaranteed rights. At the same time, Title IX has been far from perfect in its execution and its results. It continues to leave people of color and those of lower socio-economic status behind. The inclusion of transgender rights under the law is still under review as a dozen states seek to ban transgender women and girls from participating in women and girls’ sports. Today, 75 percent of high school boys participate in sports compared to 60 percent of girls. Women make up 44 percent of all NCAA athletes (compared to 13 percent before 1972), but still have 60,000 fewer athletic opportunities than men, according to the NCAA.

“The biggest lasting legacy of Title IX has been the understanding that it’s a civil right to be able to participate in school sports, because there’s education in getting to use your body to achieve various goals, working as a team, pushing yourself, testing your limits,” says Victoria Jackson, a sports historian and assistant professor at Arizona State University and the 2006 NCAA 10,000-meter champion. “That is pretty radical and has resulted in all sorts of consequences beyond the world of school sports, for individuals and for society. That’s really important.”

Title IX is a story of many chapters—continually revised politically, judicially, and culturally. In order to strengthen and sustain it, the law will always need guardians and defenders. In the middle of this year-long commemoration, for example, the Supreme Court is poised to overturn another 50-year-old ruling, Roe v. Wade, a decision that will strip women of their reproductive rights and ban abortions in several states—a devastating blow to the progress women have made in attaining education and achieving career advancement as a result of the ability to choose when and if they become pregnant.

“We want to celebrate the wins, as we are doing with Title IX, but we also want to be aware that the fight is not over,” said Nicole LaVoi, director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, during the espnW Power Summit in May. “A lot of gains have been made. And there’s a lot of work still left to do.”

It’s impossible to adequately capture the scope and reach of 50 years of Title IX in a single swoop (we’ve got a comprehensive timeline here), but the milestone deserves reflection. Female runners and track and field athletes have always been on the forefront of pushing change. Whether they realized it or not, during the decades leading to the law, the simple act of showing up and running when their presence wasn’t welcomed or recommended was an act of advocacy that pushed the movement forward. Here are four reflections on Title IX honoring its past, present, and future.

Twelve Olympians will lead star-studded lineup at 50th anniversary of Mastercard New York Mini 10K

Twelve Olympians and five Paralympians will line up in Central Park for the 50th anniversary of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, the world’s original women-only road race, on Saturday, June 11, New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced today.

U.S. Olympians Emily Sisson, Molly Seidel, Aliphine Tuliamuk, and Rachel (Schneider) Smith will lead a strong American contingent that will go up against previously announced Olympic, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, United Airlines NYC Half champion and 5K world-record holder Senbere Teferi, and two-time Mini 10K champion Sara Hall.

Sisson will come into the race after claiming her sixth national title last month in an American record 1:07:11 at the USATF Half Marathon Championships. She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo last summer after winning the 10,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, where she broke the 17-year-old Trials record set by Deena Kastor in 2004. She has been very successful in her last three trips to New York, finishing as the runner-up at the United Airlines NYC Half twice and winning the USATF 5K Championships.

“After breaking the American record in the half-marathon, I’m excited to step down in distance and compete in the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K for the first time,” Sisson said. “It will be a privilege to take part in such a powerful event that has paved the way for so many women over the last 50 years.”

Seidel owns a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympic marathon last year and in her last trip to New York set an American course record and recorded a fourth-place finish at the TCS New York City Marathon. Tuliamuk won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and then gave birth to her daughter before running in the Olympic marathon in Tokyo. She will be making her first trip to New York since 2019 and is coming off winning the 25km national title, bringing her national title count to 11. Smith represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics in the 5,000 meters after finishing third in the distance at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

The deep U.S. women’s contingent also includes American marathon record-holder Keira D’Amato, the top American finisher at the last two Boston Marathons Nell Rojas, 2019 New York Mini 10K runner-up Stephanie Bruce, U.S. national champion Erika Kemp, and the top American finisher at the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half Lindsay Flanagan.

Returning to the event 10 years after her victory will be Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat, a two-time world champion in the marathon who won the 2010 New York City, 2014 London, and 2017 Boston marathons, and was the runner-up in Boston in 2019 and 2021.

“Winning the New York City Marathon 12 years ago changed my life, and now, 10 years after also winning the Mini 10K, I still enjoy my racing and am happy to still be competing at a high level,” Kiplagat said. “NYRR always invites the highest quality fields, so I always like lining up in New York with the best in the world. There are so many inspiring women who have participated in this race over the years who set a positive example for everyone – both runners and non-runners – and I’m lucky to be part of such a prestigious group.”

Last year’s TCS New York City Marathon runner-up and Mastercard® New York Mini 10K runner-up Viola Cheptoo of Kenya and former NCAA 10,000-meter champion Sharon Lokedi of Kenya will contend for the title as well.

The professional wheelchair division will be headlined by two-time Paralympic medalist and three-time Mastercard® Mini 10K defending champion Susannah Scaroni. Since the addition of the professional wheelchair division in 2018, Scaroni is the only athlete to have won the race.

“The Mastercard New York Mini 10K is a special one to me for so many reasons, and I’m excited at the chance to race on what will be a milestone day for women’s running in Central Park,” Scaroni said. “Not only is the Mini 10K the world’s original women-only road race, but it is also one of the only women-only wheelchair races at the present time, which will hopefully pave the way for future generations of women’s wheelchair racers in the next 50 years.”

Lining up against Scaroni will be U.S. Paralympians Jenna Fesemyer, Yen Hoang, Hannah Dederick, and Eva Houston.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, was the first women-only road race and has gone on to garner more than 200,000 total finishers to date. Former NYRR President Fred Lebow named the race after the miniskirt, which back then was in vogue. A total of 72 women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division and $2,500 to the winner of the wheelchair division. The professional athlete races will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET. Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the second time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

Celebrating 50 Years of the Mini

The Mastercard New York Mini 10K began in 1972 as the first women-only road race, known as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon. Since then, the Mini has had more than 200,000 finishers, and this year's event will be the 50th running.  

You can register for the Mastercard New York Mini 10K, set for Saturday, June 11 in Central Park, and be part of the historic anniversary celebration. Youth ages 8-18 can register for the free Kids Run at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K Stage 2 or Stage 3.We share five "Mini Moments” that define the history of the Mini.

The First Mini and First 10K 

On June 3, 1972, the first women-only road race, the six-mile Crazylegs Mini Marathon, made its debut. There were 72 finishers—a huge number at the time. Three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

In 1975, the Mini distance shifted from 6 miles to 10K (6.2 miles) to align with a standard racing distance for roads and track. 

Extraordinary 5-Time Champions

Two women, Grete Waitz of Norway and Tegla Loroupe of Kenya, each won the Mini an amazing five times. Waitz—also a nine-time winner of the New York City Marathon—scored her fifth victory in 1984 and Loroupe got her fifth Mini win in 2000.This year’s pro field will feature Olympians and other world-class athletes including defending champion Sara Hall and Boston and TCS New York City Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir.

The Mini Grows and Grows

In 1998, the 100,000th Mini finisher crossed the line, and 20 years later, in 2018, the race saw its 200,000th finisher. This year’s Mastercard New York Mini 10K will have an estimated 10,000 finishers.

Youth at the Mini

In 2016, the first Girls Run at the NYRR New York Mini took place with hundreds of finishers on an age-appropriate course. A wheelchair division was added in 20xx. This year youth of all genders will take part in the Kids Run at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K.

Record-Setting Wheelchair Races

In 2018, Susannah Scaroni (above, center) won the first wheelchair division at the Mini, setting a world-best of 22:48 for the distance; she broke that record in 2019. 

The history of the Mini, and its return at full capacity with youth events this year, point to a bright future for women and girls in running.

This Mom Helps New Parents Return to Running After Pregnancy

Colette Berry wasn't prepared for postpartum running. So she made it her mission to help other women avoid her complications.

Just six weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Delphine, Berry set out on a three-mile run. But her core wasn’t strong enough to control her bladder, and her pelvic floor was unprepared for the impact that running demands. Nevertheless, she followed the vague advice of her OB-GYN and continued to moderately jog after those fateful first miles. “I made a bad situation worse,” she says.

It was the lowest point in a life full of running highs. She fell in love with the sport in college at American University, then moved to Europe during her senior year and hit the European marathon circuit after graduating, running Venice and Amsterdam, and earning a 3:37 PR in Berlin. In 2010, while living in Switzerland, Berry joined the Geneva Runners, an international expat running club, where she met her husband, Edmund. 

Not long after, she took up triathlon and consistently progressed from sprint distance, to Olympic distance, to completing an Ironman at Lake Placid in 2015 after moving back to the U.S., one month before becoming pregnant with Delphine.

While Berry took some time off after giving birth, she felt like her doctors didn’t give her clear instructions for returning to running. “I’m pretty intense about my sport,” she told them, but they didn’t understand how seriously she trained. After a year of running in frustration and discomfort, Berry started seeing a pelvic health physical therapist who helped her retrain her pelvic floor muscles, which undergo intense strain during pregnancy and delivery. 

During the process, Berry became interested in the science behind postpartum exercise and realized that if she had been more informed from the start, she might have avoided her complications. So in 2020, she became a certified pre- and post-natal personal trainer and now guides clients through three stages—prenatal, labor, and parenthood—and gives them the tools to return to exercise safely, including these three strategies. 

Train for pregnancy like an athlete

During pregnancy, you should strength train for the surprisingly physical movement patterns that you’ll face, like bathing a baby. “First, master the fundamentals with bodyweight squats, deadlifts, and lunges,” she says. “Then, add weights and combine them into compound movements.” New parents spend a lot of time on the ground, so practice standing up with an offset weight. Make sure to hinge at the hips, and avoid rounding your back by keeping your core engaged. 

Don’t give up on yourself

If you’re a runner who’s recently given birth, you don’t have to endure months of misery on the road back to exercise. “A lot of women think they have to live with certain conditions—like peeing when they sneeze or run, or pressure in their pelvic floor—but they don’t have to,” Berry says. “Pelvic dysfunction is common, but not normal.” Seek out a physical therapist who specializes in women’s health or pelvic health if you’re experiencing postpartum complications. OB-GYNs might not be trained to remedy these issues, but they can help you find a referral.

Find (or form) a like-minded community 

When Berry resumed running after pregnancy, she missed the social aspect of the sport. “I wasn’t going to find some track club and run with my jogging stroller at 10 a.m.,” she says. “So I created this group called Central Park Stroller Runners. Everyone was a new parent. It became a weekly thing, and I met some of my closest friends through that group.”

Berry’s running crew found a way to coexist amongst the antsy cyclists and ambling tourists in Central Park. They ran through the winter months, with their children nestled in sleeping bags and hats, and received some disapproving stares when their potty-training kids ventured behind the trees to relieve themselves. “If you’re a parent in New York, I promise that your child has peed in Central Park,” she says.

Peres Jepchirchir, Senbere Teferi and Sara Hall Headline 50th New York Mini 10K

With one month to go until the 50th anniversary of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced today that Olympic, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, United Airlines NYC Half champion and 5K world-record holder Senbere Teferi, and two-time Mastercard® New York Mini 10K champion Sara Hall will headline the professional athlete field for this year’s race.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the first women-only road race known as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, has gone on to garner more than 200,000 total finishers to date. Former NYRR President Fred Lebow named the race after the miniskirt, which back then was in vogue. A total of 72 women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

Jepchirchir, of Kenya, is the only athlete – male or female – to have won the Olympic, New York City, and Boston marathons, and is also a two-time world champion in the half marathon. Last year, she won gold in the Tokyo Olympic marathon by 16 seconds, and then four months later ran the third-fastest time in TCS New York City Marathon history (2:22:39) to win the race in her U.S. debut. In April, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, she fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh to take the Boston Marathon title in her debut in the event and will now be racing the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K for the first time.

“I have heard about the Mini and how it is a wonderful celebration of women and running,” Jepchirchir said. “It is very important to me that I use my success to inspire young women and girls coming after me. It is very special to be able to return to New York City after my marathon victories in New York and Boston to be a part of the 50th anniversary of this race.”

Teferi, of Ethiopia, is a two-time Olympian, two-time world championships silver medalist, and the 5K world-record holder. Earlier this year, she set both the course and event records at the United Airlines NYC Half, finishing in a time of 1:07:35 to win the race. She followed that up a month later by winning the B.A.A. 5K in a course-record time of 14:49. In her NYRR race debut, Teferi won the 2019 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K with a time of 30:59, breaking the previous course record set in 2014 by Joyce Chepkirui.

“My first race in the United States was in New York City in 2019, and I broke the event record at the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park,” Teferi said. “Then, earlier this spring, I broke the event record at the United Airlines NYC Half, again crossing the finish line in Central Park. I cannot promise another record on June 11, but I am happy to return to Central Park for my first Mini 10K, and look forward to be joined by thousands of my sisters-in-running.”

Hall, of the United States, who has 10 national titles to her name, ran what was then an American record-breaking 1:07:15 half marathon at the Houston Half Marathon in January. She was the runner-up at the 2020 London Marathon and that same year clocked what was then the second-fastest marathon ever by an American woman at The Marathon Project. She is the two-time reigning champion of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, having won the 2019 event that also served as the USATF 10 km championships and then following it up in 2021 with another victory.

“My three races at the Mini have all aligned with big important milestones in the history of the event: The first time hosting the USA Championships in 2019, the first big NYRR race coming out of the pandemic in 2021, and now the 50th anniversary in 2022,” Hall said. “I’m very aware that many of the opportunities I’ve had as an athlete are because of the groundbreaking work of the women who came before me, and of my duty to inspire the young women who will follow me, including my daughters. I will do everything I can to honor all of them with another top finish on June 11.”

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division and $2,500 to the winner of the wheelchair division. The professional athlete races will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET. Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the second time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

To mark the 50th anniversary, several legends and pioneers of the sport will also be joining the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K race weekend festivities this year, including Jacki Marsh-Dixon, the first Mini 10K champion; Kathrine Switzer, the 1974 New York City Marathon champion who also ran the first Mini 10K; Deena Kastor, Olympic medalist and 2004 Mini 10K champion; and Lynn Blackstone, Pat Barrett, Jane Muhrcke, and Nina Kuscsik, four of the “Six Who Sat” at the 1972 New York City Marathon. Both Switzer and Blackstone will run the Mini 10K again this year.

Peres Jepchirchir wins Boston in a final sprint and Evans Chebet takes the men's title

 It was not until 1972 that the Boston Marathon’s organizers allowed women to race as official entrants. Before then, those who were brave enough to defy the ban were often jeered or forcibly pulled off the course. Among the rationales cited? That women were “physiologically incapable” of running 26.2 miles.

It all seems so painfully misguided now, of course, but that pockmarked piece of the event’s history was worth remembering Monday as Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia charged through Kenmore Square, in the shadow of Fenway Park, not far from the finish line. The rest of a decorated women’s field had splintered in their wake, and now Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh went back and forth, trading the lead several times as they staged a memorable duel.

Finally, with one last push, Jepchirchir lengthened her stride to create some separation as she sprinted to the finish, her narrow win coming 50 years after women first vied for Boston Marathon glory. Perhaps the only person surprised by the outcome was Jepchirchir herself.

“I was not expecting to win,” said Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion. “But I’m feeling grateful, and now I can say that I believe in myself more.”

 For the first time since 2019, the Boston Marathon returned to its traditional slot on the calendar. Until the coronavirus pandemic, the marathon had been staged every April since 1897. But in 2020, the race was canceled for the first time in its history. And last year, the race was pushed to October, when it competed for elite entrants with a cluster of other marathons.

Order was restored this year, as a full field of about 30,000 participants — runners, wheelchair racers, para athletes, hand cyclists — formed a giant wave from Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston on a cool, sun-splashed day.

No one shined brighter than Jepchirchir, 28, who finished in 2 hours 21 minutes 1 second, just four seconds ahead of Yeshaneh. Mary Ngugi of Kenya placed third after running a smart race: She knew enough to pace herself when Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh pounded the gas, blowing away the field.

“I’m glad I didn’t follow them and just die,” Ngugi said.

Establishing herself as the most formidable female marathoner on the planet, Jepchirchir has now won her last five marathons and three in the last eight months: After surviving extraordinarily hot conditions to win at the Tokyo Games in August, Jepchirchir won the New York City Marathon in November. Now, after another triumph, she is already looking ahead.

“I still have more to do,” she said.

Kenyans swept the men’s podium. Evans Chebet, 33, won his first world marathon major when he broke clear of a large pack, finishing in 2:06:51. Lawrence Cherono was second, and Benson Kipruto, last year’s winner, was third.

The pack began to dissolve behind Chebet after he covered the 22nd mile in 4:27, a preposterous tempo. Crushing his opposition only seemed to spur him forward.

“My counterparts were nowhere close to me,” he said through a translator, “and that gave me the motivation and the determination to hit it off and seize the win.”

On Monday, fortune largely favored the brave — but not everyone. CJ Albertson, a 28-year-old Californian who trains for marathons by doing marathons, pushed the pace from the start.

“My only chance to really win or be up there in the top is to kind of break some people,” he said. “I had the mind-set that I’m invincible, and you kind of have to run like that.”

The problem: “There are limits,” he said.

Albertson faded to a 13th-place finish in 2:10:23, which was still a personal best. Scott Fauble, 30, was the top American man, in seventh. “I think I do well with hills,” he said.

Molly Seidel, a crowd favorite and a former Boston-area resident, struggled in her Boston debut, dropping out at Mile 16. She said in a statement that she had been dealing with a hip injury.

“I had to make the difficult call to stop at a medical tent to avoid really damaging anything,” she said.

Seidel, the bronze medalist in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Games, was coming off a fourth-place finish at the New York City Marathon with broken ribs.

Nell Rojas was the fastest American woman, finishing 10th in 2:25:57.

Manuela Schӓr of Switzerland won the women’s wheelchair race, cruising to her fourth victory in the event, and Daniel Romanchuk of the United States won the men’s title for a second time in Boston.

Many runners were drawn to this year’s race by the opportunity to accomplish a one-of-a-kind feat: running back-to-back Boston Marathons mere months apart.

“It feels almost a little bit too soon,” said Joyce Lee, who was running her sixth Boston Marathon after serving as guide for a visually impaired runner in the October race.

Many were also grateful for the chance to compete on the 50th anniversary of women’s official inclusion in the marathon. “It’s incredible to think that was a thing back then and women had to work so hard to participate in this event,” said Christine Valdes, 46. “They paved the way for us.”

Sport is seldom immune from global politics, and this year’s marathon was no different. Amid the war in Ukraine, runners from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing by the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the race. (Citizens of Russia and Belarus who are residents of other countries were still allowed to take part.)

And there were, as always, reminders of the terror that tore through the marathon nine years ago. Henry Richard, 20, crossed the finish line at 2:52 p.m., and the timing could not have been more poignant: It was around that time in 2013 when two bombs exploded and killed his 8-year-old brother, Martin, and two other people, and wounded 264 others.

“I know Martin would have been doing it with me,” Richard said after the race on Monday. “That’s all I could think about.”

Richard finished in 4:02:20. “I did it for both of us, and my sister and the rest of our family,” he said. “I couldn’t be more happy now. I’m going to do it again.”

In her own subtle way, Jepchirchir offered a counterpoint to some of the world’s divisions. In the race’s late stages, she and Yeshaneh appeared to work together to extend their lead. At one point, Jepchirchir offered Yeshaneh some of her water.

It all seemed straight from the Jepchirchir playbook. Consider her performance in New York last year, when she encouraged Viola Cheptoo, a fellow Kenyan, to stick with her as they entered Central Park side by side. Jepchirchir eventually pulled away, but Cheptoo lauded her sportsmanship.

On Monday, it was more of the same, all those years after eight women broke the gender barrier by racing against more than a thousand men.

“I love my competitors,” Jepchirchir said, “because I can’t do it by myself.”

Oz the Mentalist sets fastest known time in New York's Central Park

On April 8, Oz Pearlman, also known as the famous magician Oz the Mentalist, took to Central Park to break the record for running around its perimeter and to raise money to support the children of Ukraine. He broke the previous record held by Robbie Balenger of 16 laps, running a total of 19 laps, or 116 miles (187 km), in the 19 hours the park is open.

Each loop is around 10K, with the official challenge starting at 6:05 a.m. and ending at 12:55 a.m. the following morning, as the park is closed between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Pearlman wore the blue and yellow colours of Ukraine during his challenge to raise money to help children displaced in the war. Pearlman raised over $110,000, which well surpassed his fundraising goal of $100,000. 

Pearlman kicked off his fundraising campaign with his own $1,000 donation, and then matched the next $9,000 of donations. 

If you recognize Pearlman’s name, you may remember him from America’s Got Talent, in which he finished third in 2015. He is an accomplished magician and mentalist who has been featured on The Today Show, Ellen and Live with Kelly and Ryan. 

Pearlman is no stranger to the marathon scene. He has won the New Jersey Marathon four times and the Hamptons Marathon three times, holding a personal best of 2:23 from the Philadelphia Marathon in 2014. 

Like the famous scene in the movie Forrest Gump, many NYC runners happened to meet Pearlman on his journey and joined him for a jog as he averaged 5:47 per kilometre over 18 hours. 

U.S. ultrarunner outlasts a Tesla Model 3

American ultrarunner Robbie Balenger who’s known for setting the FKT (fastest known time) in New York City’s Central Park in 2021, this week ran longer than the battery of a Tesla Model 3 in Austin, Texas. The Tesla was able to go 242 miles (390 km) on a single full charge over 72 hours. Balenger covered the distance in 77 hours between April 11 and 14. 

Balenger started ahead of pace to outrun the Tesla in the time limit, covering nearly 100 miles in the 24 hours. He ran into some trouble with an injury on his second day, which forced him to slow down. The Model 3 and Balenger both started from the same point, 250 or so miles outside of Austin, Texas. The car drove until it ran out of battery, which end up being 242 miles over 72 hours. 

His progress throughout his challenge was posted on his and his sponsor’s (Ten Thousand) social media pages.

In 2021, he set out to break The Central Park Loop FKT, which follows a 10K route around the park, involving running as many laps as possible in one day. Balenger covered 98 miles in just over 18 hours. The challenge with the Central Park FKT is the fact that the park is only open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. This means runners only have 19 hours to complete their FKT attempt. Balenger also ran 5,000 kilometres across the U.S. in 2019 on a vegan diet. 

It has not been confirmed what Balenger will be getting out of completing this challenge, but I think running 390 kilometres for a free Tesla Model 3 would be well worth it. 

Amazing Wins and an Event Record at the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half

The United Airlines NYC Half made a spectacular return to the streets of New York City today as the first major NYRR race back at full scale since the onset of the pandemic.

This year’s event featured the strongest professional athlete field in event history, including 23 Olympians, eight Paralympians, six half-marathon national record holders, and the defending wheelchair division champions. In ideal racing conditions, the pro races played out thrillingly over 13.1 miles of New York City streets.

In the men’s wheelchair division, Daniel Romanchuk of the United States defended his title in a time of 49:22, more than two minutes faster than his winning time from 2019 and four minutes up on the rest of the field today. “I’m really happy to be back in New York racing and see the city so alive,” said Romanchuk a two-time Paralympic medalist and two-time TCS New York City Marathon winner.

 For the women open race,  Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia and Irene Cheptai of Kenya pulled ahead early and ran shoulder to shoulder in Brooklyn, across the Manhattan Bridge, and through Manhattan.

Teferi prevailed in the end, setting an event record of 1:07:35 and breaking Molly Huddle’s record by six seconds. Cheptai was also under the old record in a time of 1:07:37. “I was being very careful throughout the race and watching my pace,” said Teferi through a translator. “I’m very happy to have won.” Her victory is all the more remarkable given that she briefly took a wrong turn in the race’s final 100 meters. Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal of Norway was third in 1:08:07. 

The men’s open division saw 22-year-old Rhonex Kipruto outlast a lead pack of four runners and break the tape in 1:00:30, just over a minute off the event record of 59:24, held by Haile Gebrselassie. Edward Cheserek of Kenya was second in 1:00:37 and Teshome Mekonen of Ethiopia finished third in 1:00:40.

“I feel good because I’ve come back again to win, and my first win was in New York,” said Kipruto, referring to his 2018 victory in the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park. “It was not an easy win today because the course was very hilly. It was about the win, not about the time.”

Today’s events also included the return of the Times Square Kids Run at the United Airlines NYC Half for hundreds of youth ages 8–18. 

Rhonex Kipruto will lead Kenyan cast for New York Half Marathon

Rhonex Kipruto will be hoping for a bright start to the season when he lines up for the New York Half Marathon in United States of America on Sunday.

He is among elite athletes who will be battling it out for top honours in the prestigious race which has attracted a good number of entries.

The race will begin in Brooklyn at Prospect Park before taking runners across the East River via the Manhattan Bridge then head to Lower East Side, up to Midtown, through Times Square and conclude at Central Park.

Kipruto, who has been training in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County will be competing against his compatriots who include Edward Cheserek who has been training in Kaptagat and Stephen Sambu who is also in the US.

The trio will face stiff competition from Ethiopians Tariku Bekele, Birhanu Dare and Ashenafi Birhana, Galen Rupp and Shadrack Kipchirchir from USA among other top athletes.

In an interview with Nation Sport, Kipruto said he has trained well and since this is his first race this season, he wants to gauge his performance as he sets his eyes on the World Championships slated for July 16-24 in Eugene, USA.

“The race will be competitive but I will be out to gauge my performance as we start another season where I’m looking forward to a better one compared to last year. I have trained well but I can’t say that my training is 100 percent,” said Kipruto.

He revealed that last year he participated in various races but this year he wants to concentrate on preparing for the World Championships thus he will reduce the number of races he will feature in.

“Last year I participated in many races and I came to realise they were not of help and that’s why I want to run few races as I prepare to make the team that will be participating in World Championships in July,” he added.

Kipruto was a late inclusion in the Tokyo Olympics team for the 10,000m race after withdrawal of Geoffrey Kamworor which led to his dismal performance where he finished ninth in 27:52.78.

In the women's category, Irene Cheptai will be joined by two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Sharon Lokedi and Grace Kahura.

Cheptai, who is also starting her season revealed that she has been training well in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet and she just wants to run a good race as she also sets her sights on World Championships.

“I’m going into the race to just see how I will perform and with such a good field of athletes, I will be eyeing a good race. This is part of my preparations for global events like World Championships and Commonwealth Games,” said Cheptai who finished sixth at Tokyo Olympic Games in the 10,000m after timing 30:44.00.

The Kenyan athletes will be competing against Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi, USA’s Sara Hall, Charlotte Purdue among others. 

Galen Rupp, Rhonex Kipruto, Molly Seidel and Sara Hall will headline 2022 united airlines NYC Half

The 2022 NYC Half Marathon scheduled for March 20 will boast its most impressive field of professional athletes ever, the New York Road Runners announced Tuesday.

In total, 24 Olympians, eight Paralympians, and six open division athletes who hold national half-marathon records in their respective countries will descend upon the big apple next month in the race’s first running since 2019. The last two years saw the NYC Half Marathon canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The men’s open division will see US Olympic medalist Galen Rupp try his hand in the half marathon. He is the American record-holder in the 10,000 meters while winning the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London at that race. He also has a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. 

Rupp will be racing the NYC Half Marathon for just the second time ever after finishing third in 2011.

“The NYC Half was my debut at the distance, and was only the second road race of my professional career,” Rupp said. “I can’t believe that more than a decade has passed since then. It’s wild that the race will be more than double the size it was when I ran in 2011, and I’ve heard the Brooklyn-to-Manhattan course is challenging, but a great tour of the Big Apple. With the World Championships taking place in my home state of Oregon later this summer, I’m looking for the race to be a great stepping stone to everything else I want to achieve in 2022.”

He’ll have plenty of top-notch competition, however. Rhonex Kipruto of Kenya is the 10K world-record holder while Ben True was the first American man to win the NYC Half Marathon in the open division back in 2018.

Five-time US Olympian Abdi Abdirahman will be making his 10th appearance at this event next month — a stark contrast to US Army officer Elkanah Kibet, who makes his debut at the NYC Half Marathon after finishing in fourth place at the 2021 New York City Marathon back in November.

The women’s opened division is headlined by half-marathon American record holder Sara Hall, who is a two-time defending champion at the New York Mini 10K.

She ran a record 1:07:15 half marathon just last month in Houston.

“My NYC racing career started with my win at the Fifth Avenue Mile way back in 2006 and along the way I’ve broken the tape at… the New York City Marathon weekend and twice won the New York Mini 10K in Central Park,” Hall said. “Until now, though, I’ve never stepped to the line at the NYC Half. Setting the American record over that distance last month gives me a ton of confidence as I train for this new challenge.”

She’ll be joined by Molly Seidel, who won bronze in the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics before setting an American course record in a fourth-place finish at the 2021 NYC Marathon.

Both the women’s and men’s wheelchair division champions from last year’s half marathon return in U.S. Paralympic medalists Tatyana McFadden and Daniel Romanchuk.

Romanchuk is a two-time NYC Marathon winner, including a title in 2018 that saw him become the first American and youngest athlete ever to win the men’s wheelchair division.

McFadden is one of the most decorated Paralympians there is, winning 20 medals over six Games.

“I love this race. We get to run by all the great NYC iconic spots,” McFadden said. “It’s fun seeing all the kids running in Times Square as we go by; it will be great to be back after so long.”

The Surf City USA Marathon in Huntington Beach returned its traditional first Sunday in February date for the first time since 2020

The Surf City USA Marathon in Huntington Beach had a field of approximately 2,000 people competing in the race’s 26th edition.

The 2021 race was delayed to Sept. 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It usually draws a capacity field of 2,500. The smaller field is likely due to the pandemic and the fact that this was the second running of the race in less than five months, race publicist Dan Cruz told City News Service.

The marathon began at 6:30 a.m., 14 minutes before sunrise, on Pacific Coast Highway between the ocean and the Hilton Waterfront Beach Hotel.

The 26-mile, 385-yard course then quickly passed the Huntington Beach Pier. Miles two through nine went through Huntington Beach’s Central Park and miles 9 through 15 through the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

Miles 16 through 25 are on a beachfront running path paved over the sand. The final mile took runners along Pacific Coast Highway to the finish line, also near the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort.

The marathon field was limited to 2,500 because the beachfront running path is not part of the race’s closed course and runners could encounter walkers, bicyclists and others not participating in the race. The path is only 8 feet wide for a few stretches, Cruz said. 

Johanna Torgesen of Coronado won the women’s race with a time of 3:06:12.44.

Robert Mohr of New York won the men’s race with a time of 2:32:52.90.

The field also included Heather LeFriec, a physical education teacher from Spokane, Washington, who ran in the Surf City USA Marathon to fulfill her goal of completing 50 marathons by her 50th birthday in March.

LeFriec became a competitive runner as a senior at Oak Harbor High School about 65 miles north of Seattle after tennis was moved from fall to the spring. She wanted to stay active, compete in another sport, something that might help her lose weight. She wasn’t skilled at soccer and volleyball, so they were out.

Because she always liked running, she chose cross-country and finished 12th in the Washington state cross-country championships. After running one year at an Idaho community college, she was offered a scholarship at Gonzaga where she set a school record in the 10,000 meters that stood for more than a decade.

The United Airlines NYC Half will be held March 20, 2022 after being cancelled in 2020 and not held in 2021 due to the pandemic

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has announced the return of the United Airlines NYC Half on March 20, 2022, after being cancelled in 2020 and not held in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Next year’s race will get back at full scale with an expected field of 25,000 runners – marking the first NYRR race to return to its traditional field size. The event is one of the organization’s signature races taking a 13.1-mile run from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

“In early March 2020, the United Airlines NYC Half was one of the first mass sporting events to be cancelled during the onset of the pandemic,” said Kerin Hempel, CEO, NYRR.

“We are extremely excited for the glorious return of this popular race. It will be reflective of our city’s vigour and serve as a defining moment as we bring our races back to full scale.”

The course showcases New York City’s historic landmarks, popular parks, views from the Manhattan Bridge, and diverse neighbourhoods. Starting at Prospect Park in Brooklyn the race passes Grand Army Plaza, the United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, and Times Square, before ending near the TCS New York City Marathon finish line in Central Park.

Additionally, the race will host hundreds of children taking part in the Rising New York Road Runners youth event featuring a 1,500m out-and-back course on Seventh Avenue in Times Square.

The 2022 United Airlines NYC Half field will consist of both guaranteed and non-guaranteed entrants. Runners can receive guaranteed entry through a variety of methods, e.g., for NYRR members who complete four qualifying events in 2022 and have an active membership by the last qualifying event.

Non-guaranteed applicants can register for a chance to run through the entry drawing. The application period for all guaranteed entrants and the entry drawing for non-guaranteed entrants opened at 13:00 EST on November 18 and closes at 23:59 EST on December 1.

The drawing for non-guaranteed applicants will take place on December 8, and runners will be notified of their entry status.

Chelsea Clinton on Her First NYC Marathon: “The Day Was Incredible!”

After 20 years as a dedicated runner, she took on her first marathon through the five boroughs on November 7.

For years, the New York City Marathon has been a popular race for high-profile runners looking to take on the challenge of 26.2 miles. But one such notable athlete kept her presence in the 2021 race under wraps until she crossed the finish line.

Chelsea Clinton, 41—who is vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, teaches at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and has authored several books for young readers—finished in 3:59:09. She averaged 9:08 pace (with half marathon splits of 1:50:27 and 2:08:42) and got in under the 4-hour barrier she had set as a goal for herself.

Her parents, Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 42nd president and the secretary of state during the Obama administration, met her at the finish line.


Clinton, still sore from the race, spoke to Runner’s World on November 10 about her experience running through the five boroughs. She discussed her training, an inopportune injury, and the conversations she and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, had with their three children, ages 7, 5, and 2, about the effort it took to train for and finish the race. This interview had been condensed.

Runner’s World: When did you get the idea that you wanted to try a marathon?

Chelsea Clinton: Last year I turned 40. I had always thought about doing the New York City Marathon. When I turned 40 and thought, “I should do it.” But we didn’t have the marathon last year.

And so I was so thankful to have the chance to run the 50th running of the marathon. I’ve lived in New York City for 18 years, and most of those years I’ve cheered on the runners I don’t know and the runners I do know in the marathon.

How long have you been a runner?

I ran a little bit with my dad when I was in junior high and high school, but I didn’t really start running until I went to Stanford. I think just because it was so beautiful, and I had a lot of friends who had been runners. I’ve run, goodness, the last 20 some odd years.

When did you start training specifically for New York?

I started training four months before. I knew that I needed to train. I’d never run anything close to that distance.

Did you have a coach or a plan?

I did, and I’m not just saying this to you because you’re interviewing me. I looked at lots of different plans and some of them recommended running four days a week. I actually used the Runner’s World Sub-4-Hour Marathon Plan, which was five days a week.

I followed it really diligently until I tripped and fell [during speedwork on the treadmill] six weeks before the marathon. There’s no good story.

I wrenched my left foot and I bruised the bone and strained a tendon and thankfully have a really wonderful doctor and a great physical therapist, and I’ve never iced a body part as much as I’ve iced that left foot for the six weeks before the marathon. It got a lot of TLC of the cold variety.

I had to take three weeks off running totally. I biked and I did other things. I then kind of had to sort of feel out what I thought the best answer would be for the next couple of weeks to get back to hopefully marathon readiness. Thankfully, I was ready by the time Sunday came.

When do you train? Are you a morning runner?

Yes, I love running in the mornings. The long runs I would do on Sundays. I’m so thankful to my husband for keeping our children occupied while I was gone for increasingly longer runs over the months.

I like running all over New York City. I’ve seen so many different aspects of New York City I don’t know if I ever would have been able to see if I weren’t a runner, the different neighborhoods I could make it to. I love watching the city wake up.

There were a couple of days when it was 88, 90 degrees and I did revert to the treadmill. I found running in heat challenging.

Had you planned to run at an even pace to break 4 hours?

At the beginning I was running faster than I had planned—I was like, oh, gosh, I’m falling into the trap that all my friends who have run lots of marathons told me not to fall into, with the adrenaline. But I just have to enjoy this moment. And this is what’s enabling me to enjoy this moment. I just made the calculation, when I was in Brooklyn, that this is what feels right to me now. I want to soak in this experience, and I hope I’ll have enough left in me to still make it in under four hours. I did. With 51 seconds to spare.

I have to be honest, I didn’t quite follow my running plan on the day, but I think all the training and feeling in my body, what a 9-minute mile felt like, enabled me to adjust and still make my goal.

How was the day for you?

The day was incredible. It was even more of an amazing experience than whatever I had hoped or imagined it to be, the enthusiasm and the borough pride. I loved being in Brooklyn. Everyone was like, “We love Brooklyn!” [I’m thinking] I love Brooklyn. We made it to Queens and Queens was like, “We’re the best!” Yes, Queens is the best. You get to the Bronx and it’s like, “You’re not here for very long, but we are memorable.” I think, yes, I love the Bronx.

You get back into Manhattan and you’re like, ohmigod, I still have six miles to go.

Did you see a lot of people you knew along the course? And did your husband and kids see you?

It was just wonderful and I had friends that I saw all throughout the race and that just made it so much fun.

But really the most special moments were when I saw my kids. They made it to two different places and Marc was there at the finish line. They were so proud and so excited. They made me the cutest signs. My daughter yelled so loudly she was hoarse that night.

I am so proud that my kids saw their mom set a goal and beat that goal. We had lots of conversations, because initially they were like, “Mom you’re going to try so hard and you’re going to win.”

And I’m like, “No. I’m going to try so hard and I’m going to finish.”

They said, “But you can win, Mom.”

“I can’t win. If I work really hard, hopefully I can finish in about twice the time that people who are going to win finish in.”

And there were all these wonderful conversations around, we can do hard things at different points in our lives. Sometimes it really is about the effort toward those hard things and enjoying the effort and enjoying the event and it’s often not about winning.

My 2-year-old didn’t really understand what was going on. On Sunday night he was like, “No like wide races. Mama gone too long.”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry, sweetheart. Mama was gone too long today in the wide race.”

Had you planned to run with former pro soccer player Abby Wambach?

We knew that each other was running. I think we were just surprised we saw each other at the start and it was so nice. I adore and respect and love Abby, and it was so nice to share a little bit of that experience with her. But definitely after mile 11, I was like, I cannot keep up with the Olympian. I need to slow down a little bit or I will hit the wall. It was an unexpected gift at the moment.

Did you hit any rough patches?

I think that the bridges were harder than I had thought. The last six miles were challenging. But worth it.

You were running for City Harvest, which works on hunger issues in New York?

I was. I definitely saw people cheering on City Harvest. It was also really nice how often I would see people who were there for Every Mother Counts or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the other organizations. People were cheering on everyone who was in identifiable nonprofit shirts that ran by. There was so much support for those of us who were running for a cause.

Were you recognized by strangers?

Yes. And everyone was so nice. As I got slower, around 21, 22, 23, 24, I would run by and I would hear shouts behind me, “Go, Chelsea!” and I would turn back and be like, “Thank you!”

Were you doing the calculations at that point to figure out how slow you could go and still break the four-hour mark?

Yes. When I had run more quickly than I had realized for the first half, I was doing the math in my head, how slowly can I run in the moments when I know this is going to be really hard and then what will I need to do toward the end? I kept constantly recalibrating. And then, going up 5th Avenue, I could feel myself slowing more and thought, “Oh no, I hope I didn’t miscalculate.” And then I got into Central Park and the energy really helped carry me through.

Your parents seemed really proud of you.

Ohmigosh, so excited. I was nervous because of my injury, like oh, gosh, I hope I can make it. I actually called my mom at mile 11. I’m sure this is like breaking some sort of marathon protocol. I probably shouldn’t have called her, but I called her like, “I”m going to make it. You have to come.” She was like, “We’ll be there.” I was like, “Okay!” She was like, “Wait, aren’t you running?” ... “I am.”

Did you enjoy the signs people held?

So many funny signs. And so many, “Go random stranger” signs. I was like, “Yes, I’m a random stranger. Thank you!” Lots of signs supporting moms, which was great, like, if you gave birth to a child, you can do this. “Yes, I’ve given birth to three, I can.”

What kind of shoes do you wear?

I run in Brooks [Adrenaline GTS 21]. I’ve tried lots of different shoes. I have been dedicated to those shoes.

Are you hooked on marathons now or are you saying, “Never again?”

Well, I have to say I finished and I thought, “That was amazing. I want to do another one.” And then Sunday night I was like, “Ohmigosh, I’m so sore. How could I ever do this again?” We’re talking now and it’s Wednesday and I’m like, “I could totally do it again.” It’s a little bit like having children. It is something I would love to be able to do again

If I do it again, though, I would want to have a coach or friend. As extraordinary as it was and as much as I loved doing it as a New Yorker in New York City, it would have been nice to share the experience with someone. I said, “Marc, what do you think?” He said, “I love you so much. I’ll cheer harder next year. I’ll try to be in even more places.”

Hopefully I have some friends I can persuade.

Tommy Rivers Puzey has been fighting for his life and on November 7 completed the New York City Marathon

In July 2020, the ultrarunning community was shocked to find out that Tommy Rivers Puzey had been diagnosed with primary pulmonary NK/T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Since then, Rivers Puzey, or Rivs, as his friends like to call him, has been fighting for his life, and it appears that he is winning. On Sunday November 7 the beloved ultramarathoner completed the New York City Marathon in 9:18:57, barely one year after taking his first steps after treatment.

Aside from being a well-known ultrarunner, Rivers Puzey is a father to three young girls and husband to his wife, Stephanie Catudal. He had been struggling with COVID-like symptoms for several weeks in an Arizona hospital when he finally received his diagnosis.

His condition deteriorated quickly, and by October, he had lost 70 pounds and was deemed ineligible for a bone marrow transplant because he was too frail. According to his Instagram, where he has been very open about the struggle he has gone through over the last year, his doctors did not expect him to make it. He spent five months in the hospital, underwent multiple surgeries, ventilatory intubation, an open-lung biopsy, collapsed lungs, internal bleeding, acute liver failure, deep vein thrombosis, ulcers, lung infections, septic blood infections and several other dangerous side effects. He had to re-learn how to talk, swallow, chew and move his limbs. After six rounds of chemotherapy, he was told by doctors that his cancer was in remission.

One year later, Rivers Puzey surprised his loyal followers when he announced he’d signed up for the New York City Marathon. He slowly made his way through the city’s five boroughs, smiling and high-fiving spectators as he went, and crossed the finish line in Central Park in complete darkness, after most of the crowd had already gone home. Once an aspiring U.S. Olympic Trials marathoner, he called completing the marathon “the single most difficult athletic achievement” he’s ever accomplished.

Rivers Puzey’s fight is not over yet. According to his Instagram, doctors have given him a 90 per cent chance that his cancer will return without a bone marrow transplant, so he is now working on building up his strength so his body will be able to handle another four to six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant. For runners wishing to support him and his family, you can visit the GoFundMe page set up by his brother, Jacob Puzey, and others.