Hellen Obiri To Make Marathon Debut In New York

Two-time Olympic 5000m silver medalist Hellen Obiri will on Sunday make her debut in the 2022 TCS New York Marathon.

Obiri won the 5000m silver medal during 2016 Rio Olympics as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was also placed fourth over 10,000m.

The track sensation will be going up against one of the strongest women’s lineup in a city marathon when she attempts the 42.195km course for the first time in her career.

Her competitors will feature an elite field of marathon runners who have won gold medals in various competitions across the world.

They include world championship medallists Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel.

Gebreslase ran 2:18:11 to win the world title in Eugene in July and the Ethiopian also won in Berlin last year, while Salpeter won bronze in that race and has a best of 2:17:45 from Tokyo two years ago.

Defending champion Peres Jepchichir  will also be on the race as well as marathon veteran Edna Kiplagat.

Last year’s runner up Viola Cheptoo, younger sister to track legend Bernard Lagat has also been entered for the race.

Obiri has run three half-marathons finishing third at last year’s Istanbul Half Marathon before returning to clinch the title this year.

She also competed at this year’s Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon where she finished second.

The athletes will do battle through all the five boroughs of New York City starting from Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Staten Island.

They will tear through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx before finishing the race at the Central Park.