New York City Marathon organizers announced Tuesday that six former winners had committed to competing in the elite field in this year’s race, including Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, who has won in two of the past three years. Martin Lel of Kenya, who won in 2003 and 2007, Paul Tergat of Kenya (2005) and Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa (2004) are also expected to be in the men’s field. Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia (2005, 2006) and Ludmila Petrova of Russia (2000) have committed to the women’s field, according to the New York Road Runners, the race’s organizer.
The United States Olympians Ryan Hall and Brian Sell were previously announced as having committed to this year’s race, scheduled for Nov. 1.
The elite men’s field has several runners who have thrived in New York, but the world’s best marathoners have gravitated to fall marathons that offer flatter, faster courses. Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia will run Sunday in the Berlin Marathon, where he set a world record last year with a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds. Duncan Kibet of Kenya, who holds the second fastest time, 2:04:27, will also run Berlin.
The Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya has committed to running the Chicago Marathon next month; he expected to challenge for a world-record time. (NYT)
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