This weekend, on Sunday, November 5, 2023, thousands of runners will take to the start of the final Abbott World Major Marathon of the year: the New York City Marathon.
Runners, both elite and amateur, have spent months training for the event, and for many, it will cap off the 2023 racing outdoor season.
The NYC marathon will take runners through the streets of the five boroughs of New York City. Although New York is a coastal city, the race course is certainly not pancake-flat.
Featuring long inclines across bridges and the finishing hills up Fifth Avenue, runners will have to negotiate almost 250m of positive elevation.
Elite Women’s Field Is One Of The Strongest In The Race’s History
In its 52nd edition, the NYC Marathon is expected to be gripping with one of the most stacked fields the race has ever seen.
Notably, it will be the first time in New York that the 2023 Boston Marathon winner, the reigning Olympic Champion, and the defending NYC Marathon champion will be pitted against each other.
Reigning Olympic Champion and 2021 NYC Marathon winner Peres Jepchirchir will be keen to take another World Major Marathon title. The Kenyan runner will be looking to improve upon her spring campaign in April, where she finished third in the London Marathon.
Jepchirchir is certainly coming in as one of the strong favorites. The Kenyan is the only athlete to have won the Olympic, New York City, and Boston Marathon.
Since her debut marathon at the 2021 NYC Marathon, she had yet to lose until last April. The versatile Sifan Hassan shut down Jepchirchir’s winning streak when the Dutch runner defeated the Kenyan at the London Marathon.
“New York is an important step in defending my Olympic gold medal next summer in Paris,” Jepchirchir said of her return in an Olympics interview.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya will also be a name to look out for. A decorated 5,000m runner, Obiri is still quite new to the world of marathon running.
Her first marathon was exactly one year ago, at the 2022 edition of the NYC Marathon, where she placed sixth in 2:25:49. Since then, she has competed in one other marathon, the 2023 Boston Marathon, where she won in a personal best time of 2:21:38.
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya will be returning to the NYC Marathon and will be keen to defend her title from 2022. Lokedi won the 2022 NYC Marathon in a blazing time of 2:23:23.
Brigid Kosgei will also be at the start of the NYC Marathon. She held the previous marathon world record of 2:14:04 from the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Her world record stood for almost four years before Tigst Assefa shattered it at the Berlin Marathon in September.
Veteran marathoner Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, is confirmed to be at the start line this Sunday. Kiplagat is a two-time marathon world champion and has won the Boston, London, and New York City marathons.
Making her NYC Marathon debut is Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey. The women’s 10,000m and half-marathon world record holder is still new to the world of marathon running but has shown incredible potential.
Gidey ran her debut marathon last year in Valencia, where she clocked the fastest women’s marathon debut in history, running 2:16:49.
The NYC Marathon wouldn’t be complete without some hometown heroes.
Two-time Olympian Molly Huddle will be returning to the NYC Marathon after a third-place finish in 2016 and a fourth-place finish in 2018.
American marathoner Kelly Taylor is also returning to the NYC marathon. Taylor comes in with the fastest personal best of the American runners in 2:24:29.
New Men’s Winner To Be Crowned After Reigning Champion Withdrawals
Since the initial release of the men’s elite list, there have been some withdrawals that have shaken things up.
We are certain to see a new men’s champion crowned at this year’s NYC Marathon since Evans Chebet of Kenya will no longer be on the start line. His compatriot and Olympic hopeful Geoffrey Kamworor has been forced to pull out as a result of injury.
The final headliner from the men’s elite field to have pulled out was Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia.
Despite losing some talented marathoners from the start list, there are still plenty of decorated athletes who promise an exciting race.
The silver medalist from the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon, Maru Teferi of Israel, is scheduled to start at the NYC Marathon on Sunday. Teferi also earned a silver medal in the marathon at the 2022 European Championships.
Two-time World Championships silver medalist in the marathon (2022, 2019), Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia, is looking to be among the top at this year’s NYC Marathon.
Scheduled to be at the start of the race on Sunday is Dutch marathoner Abdi Nageeye. Nageeye is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in the marathon.
Although the defending NYC Marathon champion will not be at the start, 2021 NYC Marathon winner Albert Korir will be looking to take another title in the Big Apple on Sunday.
Tell Us Your Predictions!
The NYC Marathon is just days away, and we want to know what you think.
With such a stacked women’s field, who do you think will come out on top?
Now that the men’s field is missing the defending champion, who will take the new title?
Let us know in the comments!
