FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Defending Champion Priscah Jeptoo and Stanley Biwott
Withdraw from the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon
2013 Boston Marathon Champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia
and 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Runner-up
Jemima Sumgong of Kenya Will Join Previously Announced,
Sensational Professional Athlete Fields on Sunday, November 2.
New York, October 3, 2014--Previously announced defending women's champion
Priscah Jeptoo and 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon runner-up Stanley
Biwott, both of Kenya, have withdrawn from the 2014 TCS New York City
Marathon (to be run on Sunday, November 2) due to leg injuries, it was
announced today by Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road
Runners. 2013 Boston Marathon Champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and 2013
Bank of America Chicago Marathon runner-up Jemima Sumgong of Kenya have
been added to the previously announced professional athlete fields of
American and international record-setters and distance-running greats.
"I am very disappointed that I will not be able to defend my New York City
Marathon title this year," said Jeptoo. "Unfortunately, the injury I
suffered at London in April was more serious than I thought and took me a
long time to recover from. I am now 100-percent healthy, but the remaining
time I have will not allow me to be ready to honor the race and my title
the way I should for such a great event. I tried the last three weeks, but
realized my top fitness is far away. I will refocus my training to be ready
for next season and come back to New York next year in top form."
Desisa, currently ranked fifth in the 2013-2014 World Marathon Majors
Series standings, will challenge a historic men's field, featuring former
world record-holder Wilson Kipsang and two-time defending New York City
Marathon champion and second-fastest performer of all time Geoffrey Mutai,
both of Kenya. Sumgong will join a decorated collection of past New York
City Marathon champions, including Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia (2011), Edna
Kiplagat of Kenya (2010), and two-time champion Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia
(2005, 2006).
Desisa, 24, will be making his New York City Marathon debut. He had an
exceptional 2013 marathon campaign, recording victories in Dubai and Boston
and earning a silver medal at the IAAF World Championships. His time in
Dubai, 2:04:45, is the fifth-fastest debut in history. This year, he won
the super-competitive RAK Half-Marathon, leading a record eight men under
the one-hour barrier.
Sumgong, 29, finished second at the 2012 Boston Marathon and the 2013 Bank
of America Chicago Marathon and took fourth this past spring at the Boston
Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:20:41. She won the 2013 Rotterdam
Marathon, the 2011 Castellon de La Planta Marathon, and the 2006 Las Vegas
Marathon, which was her debut at the distance. She has never finished
outside of the top five in a marathon.
The TCS New York City Marathon will be televised live nationally on ESPN2
and ESPN Deportes+ from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. For those who have
video subscriptions with affiliated providers, the race will also be
available via WatchESPN, available at WatchESPN.com and through the
WatchESPN app. Additional coverage will be streaming live on ESPN3 via
WatchESPN from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. EST and from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. EST. The
race will be broadcast live in the New York City metropolitan area on
WABC-TV from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST. Viewers can also watch the race on
7online or via WatchABC on mobile devices (for participating cable
providers). Pre-race features from the start at Fort Wadsworth will be
broadcast live at 7:00 a.m. on WABC-TV, 7online.com, and WatchABC, and a
national highlights show will air from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on local ABC
affiliates. International viewers can watch the broadcast via a live
digital stream from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST on 7online.com or via a
variety of global broadcast partners (international viewers should check
local listings).
Last year, 50,266 runners crossed the finish line of the New York City
Marathon, making it the world's largest marathon ever. Runners from more
than 100 countries and each of the 50 states participated.
About the TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon is the most popular and inclusive marathon
in the world, attracting the world's top professional athletes and a vast
range of recreational runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127
entrants racing four laps of Central Park. Today, an estimated 50,000
runners from around the world tour New York City's five boroughs, starting
on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and finishing
in Central Park. Participants include Olympians, Paralympians, wheelchair
racers, top age-group competitors, and many thousands who run for charity
and to achieve their own personal goals. Millions of fans cheer the runners
from the streets and watch the global television broadcast. The race is
part of the World Marathon Majors, an alliance of the world's six biggest
marathons that determines each year's top male and top female marathoner.
The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road
Runners, the world's foremost community running organization, whose mission
is to help and inspire people through running. Tata Consultancy Services, a
leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions
organization, is the Premier Partner of NYRR and is in its inaugural year
as title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon.
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