Obiri, Jepchirchir among elite athletes set to battle in the New York City Marathon

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, world champion Gotytom Gebreslase and world cross-country champion Hellen Obiri headline the list of elite women runners who have confirmed participation in the New York City Marathon set for November 6.

Reigning champion in the men’s category Albert Korir, Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata and Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye are some of the big names in the men's line up.

Jepchirchir, a two-time world half marathon is the only athlete – man or woman – to have won the Olympic, New York City, and Boston marathons. She is also the fifth-fastest woman in history, having won the 2020 Valencia Marathon in 2:17:16, making her the fastest entrant for the women’s race in New York.

Last year, Jepchirchir won the Olympic marathon by a margin of 16 seconds to her closest challenger, and then four months later won the New York City Marathon in 2:22:39, just eight seconds off the course record.

In April, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, Jepchrichir fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh in a thrilling sprint to the finish to take the Boston Marathon title.

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Obiri, a two-time world champion over 5000m, will be making her marathon debut. The double Olympic silver medalist set a half marathon PB of 1:04:22 earlier this year and went on to claim silver over 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

Gebreslase, the 2021 Berlin Marathon champion, struck gold in the marathon at the recent World Championships, smashing the championship record with 2:18:11.

Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Israel’s world marathon bronze medalist Lonah Salpeter and Ethiopia’s 2015 world 5000m silver medalist Senbere Teferi are also in the line-up, as is USA’s Sara Hall and Britain’s Jess Piasecki.

Such is the quality of the men’s field, defending champion Korir isn’t among the 10 fastest entrants.

Chebet, who won the Boston Marathon earlier this year, has the fastest PB of the field with the 2:03:00 he ran to win the 2020 Valencia Marathon.

Kitata finished second in New York in 2018, seven months after clocking his PB of 2:04:49 when finishing second in London.

Brazil’s South American record-holder Daniel Do Nascimento, Dutch record-holder Nageeye, Japan’s Suguru Osako and USA’s two-time Olympic medallist Galen Rupp are also among the faster entrants in the men’s race.

Elite field

Women

Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:17:16

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR) 2:17:45

Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:18:11

Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:50

Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32

Jess Piasecki (GBR) 2:22:27

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

Annie Frisbie (USA) 2:26:18

Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:26:50

Stephanie Bruce (USA) 2:27:47

Nell Rojas (USA) 2:25:57

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

Elkanah Kibet (USA) 2:09:07

Daniele Meucci (ITA) 2:09:25

Jared Ward (USA) 2:09:25

Mick Iacofano (USA) 2:09:55

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

Additional Reporting by Meshack Kisenge