Olympic gold and bronze medallists Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri to defend New York City Marathon titles

© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

Paris Olympic gold medallist, Tamirat Tola, is registered to defend his title at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3. Hellen Obiri, the bronze medallist from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games marathon is also signed up to defend her title from 2023 on the streets of Gotham.

We're excited to announce our professional athlete fields for this year's #TCSNYCMarathon which includes 31 athletes from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mark your 🗓️ to watch the action live on November 3 and read about the entire field here: https://t.co/NMFOXCNw29 pic.twitter.com/1SLOW1csVN

— TCS New York City Marathon (@nycmarathon) August 20, 2024

Tamirat Tola

Tola of Ethiopia is the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Champion, the 2023 New York City Marathon Champion and now the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Champion.

Tola took the New York City Marathon record last year finishing in the time of 2:04:58. His personal best is 2:03:39 from the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon. The 33-year-old broke the Olympic Marathon record in auspicious fashion, running 2:06:36 on a course that all the experts believed would yield slow times. There was significant elevation gain and loss, but the giant hills did not seem to affect Tola and a handful of others.

“I’m excited to defend my title in New York, especially coming off an Olympic-record marathon performance,” said Tola. “The hilly course and crowds in Paris definitely prepared me well for the bridges and spectators in New York, where maybe I can go even faster this year.”

Tola also holds a fast half-marathon PB at 59:37 from Prague in 2017. Twice he has run exactly 59:46 once each in Herzogenaurach, Germany and Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Hellen Obiri

Hellen Obiri is noted as a two-time Olympic silver medallist and two-time World Champion in the 5000m event, then she moved up to the marathon. Her personal best is 2:23:10 from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, behind only Sifan Hassan and Tigst Assefa, who finished in 2:22:55 and 2:22:58, respectively. All three times are faster than the previous Olympic record.

Obiri won Boston last year in the time of 2:21:38, while that is her fastest marathon time, Boston does not count towards records and standards. She is the two-time defending champion.

“There’s no place like New York, and I am so ready to defend my title on what has become one of my favorite days of the year,” said Obiri. “I have been racing very well on the roads in the U.S., and I hope I can have another good day that sees me in contention once we enter the final stages in Central Park.”

She debuted just two years ago in New York and finished sixth in the time of 2:25:49.

Others in the field

Other top runners in the men’s field include past winners Evan Chebet who won in 2022, Albert Korir in 2019 and Geoffrey Kamworor from 2017 and 2019. They are all Kenyan. Bashir Abdi of Belgium won silver in Paris. He is also in the race. Two Americans Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who finished eighth and ninth in Paris, are the top Americans.

The top Canadian will be Rory Linkletter who has run as fast as 2:08:01. The 28-year-old did not have his best race experience in Paris clocking a 2:13:09 and finishing in 44th position. He will be looking for more from his New York debut.

The women’s field features past champions Sharon Lokedi from 2022 and Edna Kiplagat from 2010, both of Kenya. Kiplagat is interesting as she will be a rare Kenyan racing internationally after the age of 40. She is 44. She ran the Boston Marathon this year in the time of 2:23:21 and New York last year in the time of 2:29:40. Her personal best is from 2012 in London where she clocked a finish time of 2:19:50, before super shoes.

Intriguing will be Kenyans Sheila Chepkirui (2:17:29 PB), and Vivian Cheruiyot (2:18:31 PB) as well as Ethiopians Tirunesh Dibaba (2:17:56 PB), Senberi Teferi (2:19:21 PB) and Dera Dida (2:19:24 PB).

Kiplagat is a three-time winner of the Boston Marathon and won NY in 2010. She finished in second place at three Bostons and in Chicago once.

Elite field