The streets of the Big Apple will once again play host to some of the world’s top distance runners as the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon approaches. Among the headliners set to compete are the reigning champions, Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri, who will be looking to defend their hard-won titles.
Both Tola and Obiri are coming off impressive performances at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where they stood on the podium in the marathon events. Tola clinched the gold medal with a new Olympic record time of 2:06.26, while Obiri brought home the bronze.
“I’m excited to defend my title in New York, especially coming off an Olympic-record marathon performance,” said Tola, the 33-year-old Ethiopian who shattered the men’s course record in New York last year, crossing the finish line in 2:04:58.
Tola’s Olympic triumph in Paris, on a notoriously hilly course, has many experts believing he has the mettle to conquer the bridges and inclines of the New York City course once again.
“The hilly course and crowds in Paris definitely prepared me well for the bridges and spectators in New York, where maybe I can go even faster this year,” Tola added.
Joining Tola on the start line will be a star-studded field, including Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, who earned silver in Paris, as well as past New York City Marathon champions Evans Chebet, Albert Korir, and Geoffrey Kamworor.
On the women’s side, Obiri will be aiming for a repeat performance after her dominant victory in 2023, when she became the first woman in 34 years to win both the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in the same year. The 34-year-old Kenyan also won bronze in Paris.
“There’s no place like New York, and I am so ready to defend my title on what has become one of my favorite days of the year,” Obiri said. “I have been racing very well on the roads in the US, and I hope I can have another good day that sees me in contention once we enter the final stages in Central Park.”
Obiri will face stiff competition from fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, the surprise winner of the 2022 New York City Marathon, as well as Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, a three-time Olympic gold medalist who will be making her highly anticipated marathon debut.
The 2024 TCS New York City Marathon promises to be a thrilling affair as the world’s best distance runners converge on the streets of the city that never sleeps. With Tola and Obiri leading the charge, the race is sure to captivate running enthusiasts around the globe.