Obiri, Chebet lead Kenya's quest for New York Marathon titles

World cross country gold medalist Hellen Obiri and Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet lead a Kenyan contigent that also has defending champion Albert Korir in the chase for the titles and podium places at the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday 6 November.

Obiri is hoping that her varied experience will play to her advantage as the 32-year-old who is a two-time world 5000m champion and claimed world 10,000m silver in Oregon makes her debut in the classic distance. 

“I know New York is a tough course, but I hope my experience on track, road and cross country will help me navigate the ups and downs,” said Obiri, whose most recent race was Great North Run half marathon, which she won in 1:07:05. She also set a half marathon PB of 1:04:22 in Ras Al Khaimah in February.

While she has no experience in the distance, Obiri is still considered a favourite in a race that also has 2010 New York marathon champion, the experienced Edna Kiplagat, the fastest Kenyan on the list. 

Also lining up for Kenya are Viola Cheptoo who finished second in New York last year, Caroline Rotich and Sharon Lokedi, who like Obiri, will be making her debut. 

The women's elite list is headlined by Kenyan-born Israeli Lorna Salpeter who heads to the race as the fastest runner with a 2:17.45 Personal Best (PB). 

Salpeter claimed world bronze behind Gotytom Gebreslase in Oregon and ran her PB of 2:17:45 to win the 2020 Tokyo Marathon.

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Ethiopia’s Gebreslase who won last year’s Berlin Marathon on her debut at the distance and went on to finish third in the Tokyo Marathon in March before her world title win in Oregon in July is also in the running for a medal. 

Clocking a 2:18:11 PB, the 27-year-old broke the championship record to get global gold and she lines up as the second quickest in the field in New York. 

Keira D'Amato and Desiree Linden lead the US contenders. D’Amato ran her PB of 2:19:12 to win in Houston at the start of this year while Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon and they will be joined on the start line by Emma Bates and Lindsay Flanagan.

Meanwhile, Boston champion Chebet is the quickest of the men’s entries thanks to the 2:03:00 he ran to win the 2020 Valencia Marathon, a time that places him seventh on the world all-time list. 

He finished fourth in London the following year and then won in Boston in April in 2:06:51, one of the 10 marathons of his career so far in which he has finished first or second.

Korir, meanwhile, is back in action after a sixth-place finish in Boston, his win in New York last year having been achieved in 2:08:22, 19 seconds off his PB set in 2019, the same year he secured a second-place finish in New York.

Women

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR) 2:17:45

Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:18:11

Keira D'Amato (USA) 2:19:12

Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:50

Des Linden (USA) 2:22:28

Mao Uesugi (JPN) 2:22:29

Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:22:44

Emma Bates (USA) 2:23:18

Caroline Rotich (KEN) 2:23:22

Senbere Teferi (ETH) 2:24:11

Lindsay Flanagan (USA) 2:24:35

Dakotah Lindwurm (USA) 2:25:01

Eloise Wellings (AUS) 2:25:10

Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:25:15

Gerda Steyn (RSA) 2:25:28

Nell Rojas (USA) 2:25:57

Annie Frisbie (USA) 2:26:18

Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:26:50

Stephanie Bruce (USA) 2:27:47

Roberta Groner (USA) 2:29:09

Molly Grabill (USA) 2:29:17

Ruth Van der Meijden (NED) 2:29:30

Sharon Lokedi (KEN) debut

Hellen Obiri (KEN) debut 

Men

Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:03:00

Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:04:49

Daniel Do Nascimento (BRA) 2:04:51

Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:04:56

Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:05:29

Galen Rupp (USA) 2:06:07

Tadesse Abraham (SUI) 2:06:38

Mohamed El Aaraby (MAR) 2:06:55

Olivier Irabaruta (BDI) 2:07:13

Tetsuya Yoroizaka (JPN) 2:07:55

Leonard Korir (USA) 2:07:56

Albert Korir (KEN) 2:08:03

Girma Bekele Gebre (ETH) 2:08:23

Scott Fauble (USA) 2:08:52

Abdi Abdirahman (USA) 2:08:56

Marty Hehir (USA) 2:08:59

Daniele Meucci (ITA) 2:09:25

Jared Ward (USA) 2:09:25

Reed Fischer (USA) 2:10:42

Nathan Martin (USA) 2:11:05

Matt Llano (USA) 2:11:14

Frank Futselaar (NED) 2:11:30

Matt Baxter (NZL) debut

Shadrack Kipchirchir (USA) debut