New York (United States), 5 Nov. Ethiopian Gotytom Gebreslase and Kenyan Edna Kiplagat, in the women’s category, and Albert Korir, in the men’s category, start this Sunday as favorites the 51st edition of the New York Marathon, one of the six ‘majors’ of the season, to which also stars like Kenyan Hellen Obiri and her compatriot Evans Chebet arrive with great ambitions.
After the coronavirus pandemic forced the 2020 edition to be postponed and the 2021 edition reduced to just over 30,000 participants, the New York Marathon shines again this year with more than 50,000 runners, led by the two reigning champions.
Gotytom Gebreslase, world champion in Eugene, when she stopped the clock in two hours, 18 minutes and 11 seconds, or Edna Kiplagat, double world champion, are emerging as favorites to inherit the throne from Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
Also noteworthy is the presence of Obiri, two-time world champion in the 5,000 meters.
In the men’s category Albert Korir is the favorite after winning in two hours, eight minutes and 22 seconds in 2021, although there is no shortage of top-level rivals, such as Evans Chebet or the Moroccan Mohamed El Araby, who was second last year.
Chebet, who has also won the Valencia and Buenos Aires events for the past three seasons, was champion this year in the Boston Marathon.
The New York Marathon will take place on an undulating course that runs through five city boroughs, starting on Staten Island and ending in iconic Central Park. Contrary to what happens in the Chicago marathon, which took place last month, athletes will have no rabbits to set their pace.
This marathon, one of the most famous and important in the world, first took place in 1970 and since then the number of participants has risen vertically to over 50,000.
The women’s event will start at 8:40 local time (14:40 CET), while the men’s event will start at 9:05 local time (15:05 CET).
Among the participants stands out the presence of the former Puerto Rican tennis player Mónica Puig, Olympic champion in Rio 2016, who set herself the challenge of running the six ‘main’ marathons of the year, starting with the Big Apple.
“Over the long periods, my mantra was: ‘Close your mind, close your mind.’ Puig in the statements to the IOC website, olympics.com.
Puig plans to participate in the big marathons of the year, which take place in New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, London and Tokyo.
To do this, the Puerto Rican prepared with the collaboration of her partner, Nathan Rakitt, and an instructor who mentally helped her.
In the wheelchair division, the name to follow is Swiss Marcel Hug, who has been crowned in the last three majors, held in Chicago, Berlin and London.
Also expected are the Olympic and Paralympic stars Galen Rupp, silver medalist in the 10,000 meters at the London 2012 Games, and Daniel Romanchuk. EFE
am / ism
