NEW YORK — Defending champions Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri from the previous New York City Marathon aim to become the first runners to win consecutive races in nearly a decade.
“I appreciate how challenging it is to win in New York; every competitor here comes with great confidence,” explained Tola, the record holder from last year’s event. “Competing to win is my goal, and I’m ready for the challenge.”
If Tola, age 33, secures victory on Sunday, he will be the first male runner to repeat as champion since Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai clinched the title in both 2011 and 2013, with the 2012 race not taking place due to Superstorm Sandy.
Tola aims for more than just victory; he aspires to achieve a remarkable milestone by becoming only the second athlete to win an Olympic gold medal and the NYC marathon in the same calendar year. This achievement was first accomplished by Peres Jepchirchir from Kenya in 2021.
Jepchirchir remains the only runner to have effectively captured the Olympic, New York, and Boston marathon titles throughout their career.
After winning the marathon at the Paris Games, where he established an Olympic record, Tola noted similarities between the Paris and New York courses, particularly regarding their hilly terrain.
To defend his championship title in a course he favors, Tola will face intense competition from an exceptional lineup, including former winners Geoffrey Kamworor (2017, 2019), Albert Korir (2021), and Evans Chebet (2022), all hailing from Kenya.
Belgian runner Bashir Abdi, who earned a silver medal in Paris, will also compete, alongside American athletes Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who finished eighth and ninth respectively at the Paris event.
On the women’s side, 34-year-old Obiri aims to become the first female athlete since Mary Keitany of Kenya to win consecutive titles, a feat accomplished by Keitany during her three-year reign from 2014 to 2016. “I’m aiming for back-to-back victories,” said Obiri.
However, she will have to outpace a formidable group of competitors. Other previous champions in the women’s race include Sharon Lokedi (2022) and Edna Kiplagat (2010), both from Kenya, along with American talents Dakotah Popehn and Jenny Simpson.
Popehn, who got married just last weekend, referred to her participation as her “encore tour.” She stated, “When I’m enjoying myself, I perform my best. My aim is to be the top American finisher and to maintain that momentum from the Olympics. I believe I can rank in the top five overall.”
In the wheelchair racing category, Swiss athletes Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär are prominent figures, distinguished by their nine New York City marathon victories. Hug has triumphed in every event he entered this year, including the Paris Paralympics.
The NYC marathon, organized by the nonprofit New York Road Runners, has been a staple event since 1970, with over 50,000 runners completing the race last year. Athletes can qualify through various means such as achieving a qualifying time, entering a lottery, or through charitable contributions.
For the first time, the organization introduced a “Team for Climate” initiative, allowing participants to donate $3,000 for carbon credits to gain entry into the marathon. Although the week leading up to the race has seen warm temperatures in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius), conditions are expected to cool to the 50s on race day.
To enhance the experience for runners after the 26.2-mile journey, New York Road Runners collaborated with the city and cultural institutions to offer special deals on museum entries and tickets for Broadway shows.
