New York City Marathon 2022 Women's Elite Preview

World marathon champion Gotytom Gebrselase will take on world cross-country gold medallist Hellen Obiri at the TCS New York City Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Race and a World Marathon Major competition.

Gebrselase won the Berlin Marathon in 2021 in 2:20:09 and the world title in Eugene in 2022, breaking the championships record with 2:18:11. The Ethiopian runner also finished third at the Tokyo Marathon in 2:18:18.

• 2022 New York City Marathon Live Stream
• NYC Marathon Results 2022

Gotytom Gebrselase: “Winning the World Championships was like a dream. I am honored to run my next marathon in New York. It’s home to the biggest marathon in the world, and many athletes have run there. I understand it’s a challenging course, and I am looking forward to seeing further success there”.  

Obiri will make her marathon debut in New York. The Kenyan won two consecutive world gold medals in the 5000 meters in London 2017 and Doha 2019, two Olympic silver medals over this distance in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2021, and the world cross country title in Ahrus 2019. Obiri won the world silver medal in the 10000m in Eugene last July. On the road, the Kenyan athlete finished second, setting a half marathon PB of 1:04:22 in Ras Al Khaimah and won two half marathon races in Istanbul in 1:04:48 and at the Great North Run in Newcastle in 1:07:05. Over shorter road distances, she won the 10 km Great Manchester Run. Obiri moved from Ngong to Boulder to start training with three-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenheim. Obiri trains with two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, who has been living in Boulder (Colorado) for a decade and will compete in New York next Sunday. 

Hellen Obiri: “Everyone has been welcoming, and the training environment is perfect. Training is very similar in Kenya. I think it will be a good place for my daughter to grow. The biggest challenge has been being away from my family, as I miss them a lot. I have often watched the New York race on TV and seen my Kenyan colleagues compete there. I know that New York is a tough course, but I hope my experience on the track, cross country, and the race will help me navigate the ups and downs. I also plan to get advice and tips from my coach, who competed in the race several times in the past”. 

Kiplagat won three World Marathon races in New York in 2010, London in 2014, and Boston in 2017. This year the 42-year-old Kenyan runner finished fourth at the 2022 Boston Marathon in 2:21:40. She set her PB of 2:19:50 in London in 2012. 

Kenyan-born Israeli Lonah Chemtai Salpeter won the Tokyo Marathon in March 2020 with her PB of 2:17:45 and the bronze medal in the marathon in Eugene 2022 in 2:20:18. On the track, Salpeter won the gold medal in the 10000m at the European Championships in Berlin 2018 and the European bronze medal over the same distance in Munich 2022. Salpeter hopes that the world bronze medal in Eugene will be a springboard for a top-three finish in her debut at the New York Marathon. 

Lonah Salpeter: “It has been my dream to compete at the New York Marathon for a long time. I am just looking to try and achieve another podium”. 

Senbere Teferi will be looking to become the first Ethiopian athlete to win the New York Half Marathon, the New York Mini 10 km, and the TCS New York Marathon in the same year. Teferi won the world silver medal in the 5000m in Beijing in 2015. 

Another top runner to watch is Viola Cheptoo, who finished second in New York last year in 2:22:44. Cheptoo, the younger sister of former 1500m and 5000m world champion Bernard Lagat, also finished sixth at the Boston Marathon in 2:23:47 and won the Naples Half Marathon in 1:06:47 in 2020. Newcomer Sharon Lokedi from Kenya will return to New York, where she set her half marathon PB with 1:08:14 last March. 

The US hopes are carried by Keira D’Amato, who set the national record of 2:19:12 in Houston last January. The line-up also features Emma Bates (second in Chicago in 2021 in 2:24:20 and seventh at the World Championships in Eugene in her PB of 2:23:18), Aliphine Tuliamuk (US champion in Atlanta in 2020 in 2:27:23 and third placer in Rotterdam in 2019 in 2:26:50, Des Linden (winner at the Boston Marathon in 2018 and second in Chicago in 2010), Nell Rojas (sixth in Boston in 2021) and Stephanie Bruce (sixth in Chicago 2019 in 2:27:47).

Women's Elite Runners