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≡ NEW YORK CITY MARATHON ≡
The final World Marathon Majors race of 2024 is Sunday’s New York City Marathon, with Olympic gold medalist and defending champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia looking for his second win in New York and three prior New York City women’s winners, including defending champ Hellen Obiri of Kenya. The top elite entries:
Men:
● 2:03:00 ‘20: Evans Chebet (KEN) ~ 2022 NYC winner, two-time Boston champ
● 2:03:36 ‘21: Bashir Abdi (BEL) ~ Paris Olympic silver, Tokyo Olympic bronze
● 2:03:39 ‘21: Tamirat Tola (ETH) ~ Paris Olympic gold; 2023 NYC winner
● 2:04:23 ‘23: Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) ~ 2017, 2019 NYC winner
● 2:04:45 ‘24: Abdi Nageeye (NED) ~ Tokyo Olympic silver
● 2:05:01 ‘24: Addisu Gobena (ETH) ~ Dubai 2024 winner in debut
● 2:06:49 ‘22: Abel Kipchumba (KEN) ~ Berlin 5th in 2022
The top American by lifetime best is Paris Olympian Conner Mantz at 2:07:47, who was eighth in Paris this year.
Women:
● 2:17:29 ‘22: Sheila Kipkirui (KEN) ~ 2023 Berlin runner-up
● 2:17:56 ‘17: Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) ~ 2017 Chicago winner; three Olympic golds
● 2:18:31 ‘18: Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) ~ 2018 London winner, 2018 NYC second
● 2:19:21 ‘23: Senbere Teferi (ETH) ~ 2023 Berlin 5th; 2015 Worlds 5,000 m silver
● 2:19:24 ‘23: Dera Dida (ETH) ~ 2023 Dubai winner; NYC debut
● 2:19:50 ‘12: Edna Kiplagat (KEN) ~ 2011/2013 World Champ; 2010 NYC winner
● 2:20:02 ‘22: Eunice Chumba (BRN) ~ 2023 Rotterdam winner; 10th at Paris 2024
● 2:21:38 ‘23: Hellen Obiri (KEN) ~ Defending champion; Paris Olympic bronze
● 2:22:38 ‘11: Des Linden (USA) ~ 2018 Boston winner; Rio 2016 seventh
● 2:22:45 ‘24: Sharon Lokedi (KEN) ~ 2022 NYC winner; Paris 2024 fourth
Dibaba, the Olympic 5,000-10,000 m champ in 2008 and 10,000 m winner in 2023, is 39 now and stopped in 2018, but returned to running in 2023. It’s her first marathon since 2018. Linden, the famed winner of the 2018 bad-weather Boston Marathon, now 41, is back for her fifth New York City Marathon.
The prize money for the elite runners goes 10 places at $100,000-60,000-40,000-25,000-15,000-10,000-7,500-5,000-2,500-2,000. That’s $267,000 each for men and women, or $534,000 total.
Time bonuses of $50,000 are available for course records: 2:04:58 by Tola for the men in 2023, and 2:22:31 for the women, set by Margaret Okayo (KEN) in 2003.
The race will be shown nationally on ESPN2 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, with pre-race and continuing coverage on ESPN3 (available through the ESPN app).
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