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NEW YORK (WABC) — On a crisp, beautiful Sunday morning, more than 50,000 runners from over 150 countries turned out for the TCS New York City marathon.
Defending New York City Marathon champions Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri are looking to be the first repeat winners of the professional men’s and women’s divisions in nearly a decade.
“It was not easy to win New York; I know every athlete who is coming here is confident,” said Tola, who set the course record last year. “I also compete to win, so I know I’m up for the task.”
Watch the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon NOW on Channel 7
The women’s race launched at 8:36 a.m.
Obiri, a 34-year-old from Kenya who won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, is trying to become the first woman to win consecutive races since Mary Keitany of Kenya won three in a row from 2014-16.
“Winning back to back is what I’m looking forward to,” Obiri said.
She’ll need to beat her own loaded field to accomplish that feat. Other past champions in Sunday’s race on the women’s side include Sharon Lokedi (2022) and Edna Kiplagat (2010), both of Kenya. American standouts Dakotah Popehn and Jenny Simpson also are running.
“I keep calling this my encore tour,” said Popehn, who got married last weekend. “When I’m having fun I race the best anyway. My goals are to be the top American, keep that title going from the Olympics. I think I can be in the top five overall.”
The marathon got underway with the men’s wheelchair division at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland is trying to win the race for the four consecutive year and seventh time overall. He won races in Boston and London earlier this year.
The women’s field took off a few minutes later featuring Susannah Scaroni of the U.S., who won the race in 2022.
Ryan Field talks to Ted Metellus prior to the start of Sunday’s TCS NYC Marathon
If Tola does win the men’s professional race on Sunday, the 33-year-old from Ethiopia will be the first man to repeat as champion in New York since Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won in 2011 and 2013. The 2012 race was canceled because of Superstorm Sandy.
Tola has more history on the line: He is looking to join select company by becoming only the second runner to win both an Olympic gold and the NYC marathon in the same year, equaling the feat accomplished by Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya in 2021.
Jepchirchir is the first runner to win the Olympic, New York and Boston marathons over a career.
Tola is coming off a win at the Paris Games, where he set an Olympic record in the marathon. He said the Paris and New York race courses were similar because of the hills.
To defend his title on his favorite course, he’ll have to beat a stellar field that includes past winners Geoffrey Kamworor (2017, 2019), Albert Korir (2021) and Evans Chebet (2022), who all are from Kenya.
Bashir Abdi of Belgium won the silver medal in Paris and also is in the race. Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who finished eighth and ninth in Paris, are the top American men.
The NYC marathon has been held since 1970 and had more than 50,000 runners finish the race last year. The race is organized by the nonprofit New York Road Runners. Runners can get into the marathon a variety of ways, including a qualifying time, a lottery or charitable contributions.
For the first time, the organization added a “Team for Climate” that allowed runners to donate $3,000 for carbon credits to get entry into the race. While it’s been warm all week in New York, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit (20s Celsius), race day is supposed to see it cool down to the 50s.
Trying to improve the experience for runners after the 26.2-mile race, New York Road Runners worked with the city and arts organizations to provide deals on some museum entries and tickets to Broadway shows.
The TCS New York City Marathon course runs 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of the city. The race begins on Staten Island. Runners cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn and Queens before crossing into Manhattan.
Runners head next to the Bronx, and then back into Manhattan to the finish line in Central Park.
You can find a mile-by-mile tour of the course here.
The TCS New York City Marathon course is closed to vehicular traffic during the race.
TCS NYC Marathon Start Times
Start times are subject to change, but this is the scheduled timeline:
8:00 a.m. Professional Wheelchair Division
8:22 a.m. Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities
8:35 a.m. Professional Women’s Open Division
9:05 a.m. Professional Men’s Open Division
9:10 a.m. Wave 1
9:45 a.m. Wave 2
10:20 a.m. Wave 3
10:55 a.m. Wave 4
11:30 a.m. Wave 5
Some information from the Associated Press
Click here for more coverage of the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon.
Watch 2024 TCS New York City Marathon LIVE NOW on WABC-TV Channel 7.
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