Baptism of fireplace for Scottish runner in an occasion that options world-class line-ups on Sunday November 5
The TCS New York Metropolis Marathon will not be recognized for being the quickest course on the earth, nevertheless it continues to draw among the greatest runners on the planet. This Sunday’s occasion consists of Brigid Kosgei, Letesenbet Gidey, Peres Jepchirchir, Tamirat Tola and Shura Kitata with the British problem led by Andy Butchart as he makes his debut at 26.2 miles.
With the Paris Olympics 9 months away, athletes like Butchart know their greatest probability of securing a qualification customary is unlikely to be within the Massive Apple. But the glamour and attraction of the race guarantee it’s on the bucket listing of most marathon runners.
A part of the attraction is the occasion’s nice historical past and this weekend’s occasion, for instance, marks the 40th anniversary of Rod Dixon’s well-known last-gasp victory over Geoff Smith. Again then in 1983 Smith held a sizeable lead into the closing levels, just for Dixon to run him down in dramatic vogue, with the following end line picture creating an iconic picture.
If the 2023 race is half as thrilling, followers shall be in for a deal with. Butchart’s construct up appears to have gone properly, too.
After clocking 27:47.43 on the Night time of the ten,000m PBs in Could and setting a parkrun ‘world file’ of 13:45 in Edinburgh, he loved a flurry of races in early September that included half-marathons on the Massive Half (62:15) and Nice North Run (64:30), Following this got here altitude coaching at Font-Romeu earlier than fine-tuning his preparations in Scotland.
He has marathon expertise of types, too, after being one of many pacemakers within the London Marathon. “The group was insane and it offers me a little bit of a buzz to possibly strive a marathon in a few years’ time,” he stated on the time.
Andy Butchart (tempo 4) (London Marathon)
The 32-year-old, who completed sixth within the Olympic 5000m last in 2016, holds the Scottish information for 3000m (7:35.18), 5000m (13:06.21) and 10,000m (27:36.77) though the nationwide marathon mark of two:08:14 held by Callum Hawkins may very well be powerful to beat on the undulating New York course.
The lads’s discipline in New York suffered a double blow not too long ago when 2022 winner Evans Chebet and two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya needed to drop out. This implies Tola, the 2022 world champion from Ethiopia, 2023 Nice North Run winner and a 2:03:39 man, will begin favorite.
Tamirat Tola (Getty)
Kitata, the 2020 London Marathon winner and two-time New York Marathon runner-up with a 2:04:49 greatest, can be an enormous contender along with Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands.
Added to this are Maru Teferi, the 2023 world marathon silver medallist from Israel; Albert Korir, the 2021 New York Marathon winner from Kenya; Cam Levins of Canada, the North American marathon record-holder with a greatest of two:05:36; and Amedework Walelegn, the 2020 world half-marathon bronze medallist from Ethiopia.
Together with Butchart, one other notable debutant is Ed Cheserek of Kenya.
The ladies’s race has suffered some inevitable drop-outs too in latest weeks corresponding to 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase, final yr’s runner-up Lonah Chemtai Salpeter and 2022 London Marathon champion Yalemzerf Yehualaw. Nevertheless it nonetheless oozes high quality.
Brigid Kosgei (Mark Shearman)
Kosgei of Kenya shall be trying to make her mark once more after seeing her marathon world file of two:14:04 fall final month to Tigist Assefa. Going through her is the world 10,000m and half-marathon record-holder Gidey of Ethiopia, Olympic champion and 2021 New York winner Jepchirchir of Kenya and 2023 Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya.
It means Sharon Lokedi of Kenya can have her work minimize out to defend her title. Working her marathon debut final yr she clocked 2:23:23 to take victory.
Sharon Lokedi (left) poised for victory (Getty)
As well as, Edna Kiplagat, a former New York Metropolis, Boston, London and World Championships marathon winner, will return aged 43.
Of the contenders, Jepchirchir appears in large type after successful the world half-marathon title in Latvia one month in the past. Gidey, in the meantime, ran the world’s quickest girls’s debut marathon of two:16:49 in Valencia however went on to collapse when main the World Cross in Australia earlier than successful 10,000m silver behind Gudaf Tsegay on the World Championships in Budapest in August.
Look out as properly for Mary Ngugi-Cooper, the British-based Kenyan athlete, whose greatest of two:20:22 got here London final yr.
Mary Ngugi (London Marathon)
Main the American girls is two-time Olympian Molly Huddle, who shall be racing her third TCS New York Metropolis Marathon after ending third in 2016 and fourth in 2018.
Within the wheelchair races, defending champions Susannah Scaroni of the USA and Marcel Hug of Switzerland return with British curiosity from JohnBoy Smith, David Weir, Simon Lawson, Eden Rainbow Cooper.
On Saturday (Nov 4), in the meantime, the Abbott Sprint to the End Line 5km acts as an appetiser to Sunday’s marathon and options Weini Kelati, Courtney Frerichs, Keira D’Amato, Woody Kincaid and Zach Panning.
Woody Kincaid (Getty)
For viewers within the UK the marathon is because of be proven on Sunday (Nov 5) on Discovery+ from 1pm-4.30pm and Eurosport from 2.30pm to five.15pm.
The whole elite fields could be seen right here
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