News14 Sep 2015


Kipsang, Kamworor and Keflezighi lead men’s field for New York City Marathon

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Wilson Kipsang celebrates his victory at the New York Marathon (© Getty Images)

Defending champion Wilson Kipsang will join Meb Keflezighi to headline a world-class men’s field at the TCS New York City Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday 1 November.

Joining them will be 2014 runner-up Lelisa Desisa, winner of this year’s Boston Marathon, and 2014 third-place finisher Gebre Gebremariam, both of Ethiopia, as well as world cross-country and half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya.

“We’re thrilled to welcome back our defending champion Wilson Kipsang, along with Meb Keflezighi, America’s top marathoner, and this year’s Boston Marathon champion, Lelisa Desisa, for the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon,” said race director Peter Ciaccia.

Kipsang is the defending champion and the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series VIII champion. The 33-year-old Kenyan earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics and has run faster than 2:05 six times – the most in history.

He ran his personal best of 2:03:23 – a world record at the time – to win the 2013 Berlin Marathon. He won the London Marathon in 2013 and 2014, the latter in a course record of 2:04:29, and placed second at the same event in 2015.

“My training is going very well and I am very happy to come back to race the streets of New York City again and defend my title,” said Kipsang.

USA’s Keflezighi is the 2014 Boston Marathon and 2009 New York City Marathon champion. The 40-year-old earned a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and finished fourth in 2012.

Kamworor won the gold medal at both the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. More recently, the 22-year-old earned the silver medal over 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

In his marathon debut at the 2012 Berlin Marathon, he finished third in 2:06:12; at the same event in 2013 and 2014 he finished third and fourth, respectively.

Desisa finished as the runner-up at the 2014 New York City Marathon and is a two-time Boston Marathon champion, making him the only Ethiopian man to attain two Boston Marathon victories. In 2013, he earned a silver medal at the IAAF World Championships and won the Dubai Marathon.

Gebremariam won the 2010 New York City Marathon in 2:08:14 on his marathon debut. He is also the 2009 world cross-country champion.

Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegaye earned the silver medal in the marathon at this year’s World Championships. He ran a personal best of 2:04:48 to win the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon.

Stanley Biwott is the second-fastest half-marathon runner in the world this year, recording a time of 59:20 at the City-Pier-City Half Marathon. The 29-year-old Kenyan was the runner-up at the 2014 London Marathon, setting a PB of 2:04:55.

Also in the field is European champion Daniele Meucci. The 29-year-old Italian has a PB of 2:11:08 and recently finished eighth at the World Championships.

Organisers for the IAAF

Elite men’s field (with PBs)

Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:23
Lelisa Desisa (ETH) 2:04:45
Yemane Tsegaye (ETH) 2:04:47
Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) 2:04:53
Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:04:55
Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:06:12
Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:08:14
Meb Keflezighi (USA) 2:08:37
Daniele Meucci (ITA) 2:11:08
Nick Arciniaga (USA) 2:11:30
Li Zicheng (CHN) 2:13:12
Craig Leon (USA) 2:13:53
Juan Luis Barrios (MEX) 2:14:20
Stefano Sciani (ITA) 2:16:26
Harbert Okuti (UGA) 2:17:30
Matt Flaherty (USA) 2:21:20
Kevin Chelimo (KEN) 2:29:40
Will Nation (USA) debut
Chris Bendtsen (USA) debut