After the stratospheric world records at the beginning of autumn, the last big marathon of the year will be run on Sunday in the streets of New York, with a very dense field of participants for women and failures for men.
With two new world records within two weeks, the marathon world has advanced into another dimension, for the first time in Berlin at the end of September, where the Ethiopian Tigst Assefa broke more than two minutes (2:11:53) and surpassed Brigid Kosgei’s old mark since 2019 , then in Chicago in early October, when the young Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum (2h00:35) deleted his older Eliud Kipchoge from the shelves.
These incredible performances are not in jeopardy on Sunday in New York, where the course is hillier than elsewhere and not suitable for ultra-fast racing.
But sooner or later “the record will return to Kenya,” Brigid Kosgei said on Thursday. “This record is not easy to break” and “we will do something good to get it back.”
The Kenyan, who went from the best marathon runner in history to the third female runner in the world in two weeks, will compete in the 42.195 kilometers in New York, six months after her premature withdrawal from London.
In addition to him, the women’s field should also put on a great show. Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, who won the distance for the first time in New York last year, and Hellen Obiri, who won in Boston in April, will also be at the start, as will Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, world record holder in the 10,000 meters and half marathon.
Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, winner in New York 2021 and then injured in 2022, is unsure after injuring her calf a few days ago. “If I’m still in pain on Saturday, I don’t think I’ll run,” she told the media.
Security
In the men’s race, the race is wide open after Kenyan favorites Evans Chebet, victorious in Boston in April and New York last year, and Geoffrey Kamworor, winner in 2017 and 2019 but injured this year, were forced out.
Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, 2022 world champion and third in London in April behind Kiptum and Kamworor, starts with the best time of the participants and a revenge after his failure in Budapest this summer.
He will fight with Israeli Maru Teferi, second in Budapest, Dutch Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye and Kenyan Albert Korir, winner in New York 2021.
The most famous marathon in the world, with its 50,000 runners at the start and its millions of spectators, will take place under high security in Gaza in the context of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas. On Wednesday, the New York Police Department expressed “growing concern” about the consequences of “increasing tensions around the globe.”
Police are planning a “comprehensive security plan,” although “there is currently no credible or specific threat to the marathon or the city.”