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Keitany to make Marathon debut in New York
Kenya's Mary Keitany during the IAAF/EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham (Getty Images)
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New York, USA - Reigning World Half-Marathon champion and 25K World record holder Mary Keitany of Kenya will step up to the Marathon distance for the first time in her career at the ING New York City Marathon 2010 on Sunday, November 7.
The ING New York City Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
The debut of Keitany, 28, will be the latest in a long list of Marathon debuts in New York by some of the world’s best women distance runners: Grete Waitz (1978), Tegla Loroupe (1994), Deena Kastor (2001), Marla Runyan (2002), and Kara Goucher and Kim Smith (2008). Also making her Marathon debut in this year’s race is American Olympian Shalane Flanagan.
Keitany set the 25K World record of 1:19:53 at the BIG 25 in Berlin on 9 May this year. She owns three of the top 12 times in Half-Marathon history and has not lost a Half-Marathon race since October 2007.
“It will be my debut at the marathon distance and I have no idea how my body will react in the last miles, but I’m confident for the new challenge in front of me,” said Keitany.
Also announced for the women’s field were two-time Olympian Kim Smith of New Zealand and former World champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia, who join the previously announced Flanagan and British Olympian Mara Yamauchi for the 41st running of the race.
Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia, Arata Fujiwara of Japan, and Kenyans Abel Kirui, Peter Kamais, and Emmanuel Mutai were also announced for the men’s field. Defending champion Meb Keflezighi and 2009 World Half-Marathon bronze medalist Dathan Ritzenhein, both of the United States, and Marathon World record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, were announced previously.
Organisers for the IAAF
The ING New York City Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
The debut of Keitany, 28, will be the latest in a long list of Marathon debuts in New York by some of the world’s best women distance runners: Grete Waitz (1978), Tegla Loroupe (1994), Deena Kastor (2001), Marla Runyan (2002), and Kara Goucher and Kim Smith (2008). Also making her Marathon debut in this year’s race is American Olympian Shalane Flanagan.
Keitany set the 25K World record of 1:19:53 at the BIG 25 in Berlin on 9 May this year. She owns three of the top 12 times in Half-Marathon history and has not lost a Half-Marathon race since October 2007.
“It will be my debut at the marathon distance and I have no idea how my body will react in the last miles, but I’m confident for the new challenge in front of me,” said Keitany.
Also announced for the women’s field were two-time Olympian Kim Smith of New Zealand and former World champion Werknesh Kidane of Ethiopia, who join the previously announced Flanagan and British Olympian Mara Yamauchi for the 41st running of the race.
Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia, Arata Fujiwara of Japan, and Kenyans Abel Kirui, Peter Kamais, and Emmanuel Mutai were also announced for the men’s field. Defending champion Meb Keflezighi and 2009 World Half-Marathon bronze medalist Dathan Ritzenhein, both of the United States, and Marathon World record-holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, were announced previously.
Organisers for the IAAF
Octavio, you'll like this about Keitany: Based on a quick online search, it seems like Mary's PB in the 5K is a 16:29 set back in 2006. Of course, she could probably improve upon that time if she trained specifically for that event right now, but Keitany is a good example of someone who wasted little time on the track circuit.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I wasn't aware of her "slow" 5K time. I'm sure she would blow that 16:29 away. Her 25K PB time of 1:19:53 equals a sub 16 minute 5K split (en route to 25K). Yes, indeed NYC will be very interesting.
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