Olympic champion Tamrat Tola ready to face strong fields at New York Marathon

Addis Ababa, November 1, 2024 (FBC) –  Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia will defend his titles at the TCS New York City Marathon – a World Athletics Platinum Label road race – but he will face strong opposition on Sunday 3rd November 2024.

Tola, the 2022 world champion, won in New York last year in a course record of 2:04:58, then went on to claim the Olympic title in Paris in a Games record of 2:06:26. What made his feat all the more impressive is that he was only drafted into the Ethiopian team two weeks before the Games, having initially been named as a reserve.

“I’m excited to defend my title in New York, especially coming off an Olympic-record marathon performance,” said Tola. “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.”

Two-time Olympic medallist Bashir Abdi will also be one to watch; the Belgian earned silver at the recent Games, having taken bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and at the 2022 World Championships.

Three past winners – all from Kenya – are also in the field: 2022 champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Albert Korir, and 2019 and 2017 victor Geoffrey Kamworor. Chebet has twice won the Boston Marathon, and has finished first or second in 13 marathons.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba will make her New York City Marathon debut and is one of the world’s most accomplished long-distance runners as a three-time Olympic and 16-time world champion.

She has completed four marathons to date, her last one being in 2018, but has finished on the podium every time. Tirunesh will be joined by compatriots Senbere Teferi and Dera Dida, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and other world class athletes.

She will be joined by compatriot Senbere Teferi, the 2015 world 5000m silver medallist who set a marathon PB of 2:19:21 last year, and Dera Dida, who is the fastest entrant based on season’s bests (2:19:29).

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