.jpg)
L. MathekaKorir headlines Kenyan contingent for New York City Marathon
.jpg)
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 05.11.21. | 10:22
Half marathon world-record holder and 2020 World Half Marathon Championships silver medalist Kibiwott Kandie is set to make his marathon debut
The last edition of the New York City Marathon, in 2019, was won by a Kenyan, Geoffrey Kamworor and as the 2021 edition gets underway on Sunday 7th November, all Kenyan eyes will be on the reigning silver medalist Albert Korir.
Korir has finished on the podium at each of his first 10 career marathons, the 10th coming in the 2019 New York marathon when he was second behind Kamworor.
Since then, however, he has just one result on his profile, a 10th-place, 2:13:53 in Eldoret City Marathon in June 2021 and has his work cut out against a field that has one sub-2:06 runner in Kenenisa Bekele and four others who are faster than he is if the personal bests are anything to go by.
“I have been out of competition for a long time and heading to New York City, I need to be on the podium. As much as I want to win the race, it will be one of the most competitive ones now that many athletes have been out of competition for a long time,” said Korir in an interview before heading out to the United States.
In 2019, the 27-year old won Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston, Texas in January and followed it up with a win in May at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. He completed his season with silver in New York.
At the age of 21, Korir won the Eldoret KASS Marathon in a time of 2:21:14 and was on the podium at Barcelona Marathon with a 2:10:08 for second place, Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2:10:21 for third place in 2016 before racing for a win in Vienna City Marathon in 2017.
Augustine Choge and Kibiwott Kandie will give Korir company in the race, both making their debut in full marathon racing. He has had a stellar 2020 season, where he broke 59:00 four times in the half, including that mind-blowing 57:32 world record in Valencia in December. And he’s also a strong cross country runner where he beat two-time World Cross Country champion and two-time New York Marathon champ Kamworor at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships last year.
.jpg)
