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Head-to-Heads: Elite Athlete Past Matchups

Photo Credit: Victah Sailer / PhotoRun Mary Keitany Holds the Women’s Personal Best

There are plenty of great men running marathons, while the number of top women running the marathon is much smaller. For that reason, many marathons (including some of the largest) can not gather a strong/deep women’s field – this is not the case for the New York City Marathon where deep pockets and the prestige of the race bring together a formidable women’s field. And there are many who could vie for the win.

The defending champion from 2013, Priscah Jeptoo, had to drop from the field due to injuries, but that does not lessen the depth of competition we expect to see on Sunday. Three women in the field have run sub-2:20 for the marathon and we’ll expect these women to compete for the win, although a couple of others could surprise.

Mary Keitany holds the fastest time in the field (a 2:18:37), but she has never performed well at New York. In 2011, fresh off setting the Half Marathon world record, Keitany ran away from the field at course/world record pace only to slow and be caught at the end. In a race like New York – without pacesetters, we don’t trust Keitany to have the willpower to hold to a reasoned pace; but her natural speed could let her win if she can hold back at the beginning. Edna Kiplagat knows how to win, having twice won the world championships, won the 2010 new York City Marathon and won the London Marathon earlier in 2014. With her consistency, she is one to watch.

Bizunesh Deba is the perennial runner-up, but is one to watch in New York. An Ethiopian living in New York, she knows the course well and had her breakout when she finished runner-up at the 2011 New York City Marathon and then repeated that finish at the 2013 New York City Marathon. Deba has continued to improve her time and had a massive personal best in finishing runner-up at the 2014 Boston Marathon in 2:19:59. Deba should factor into the top three at the marathon.

Also in the field are others who will compete near the front. Jelena Prokopcuka is a two-time New York City Marathon champion, but those finishes were nearly a decade ago in 2005 and 2006. Surprising us, she finished third at the 2013 New York City Marathon at 37 years old and with that finish showed that she is never one to count out. Jemima Sumgong, the runner-up at the 2013 Chicago Marathon made the late switch to run New York after Priscah Jeptoo dropped from the field and is one of th fastest in the field. Firehiwot Dado, the 2011 New York City Marathon winner has also been running well and could figure in the race.

The 2014 New York City Marathon will also feature most of the best American women marathoners (but where is Shalene Flanagan?). Desiree Linden was runner-up at the 2012 US Olympic Trials after which she was sidetracked with injuries. She has made a strong comeback, first at Berlin with a fifth-place finish and then running a 2:23:54 at the 2014 Boston Marathon. Kara Goucher ran the fastest debut for an American ever when she finished third in New York in 2008 in 2:25:53. And although she has struggled recently, she remains one of America’s best. Deena Kastor, now 41!, captured the Olympic bronze medal in 2004 and set the American record for the marathon in 2006 (2:19:36). She announced she was retiring from marathoning after a swan song at the 2013 World Championships Marathon – but, she now feels that she is running as well as she has in years and we will see how well she competes and expect that she will extend her comeback through the next Olympics. Also among the American women we will watch are Annie Bersagel, the 2013 US Marathon Champion; Lauren Kleppin who ran 2:28:48 at the 2014 Los Angeles Marathon; and Blake Russell who is making her comeback to marathoning.

Female Elite Athletes

Athlete	Country	Bib	Personal Best	NYC
Buzunesh Deba (27)	ETH	102	2:19:59, Boston, 2014	History
Jelena Prokopcuka (38)	LAT	103	2:22:56, Osaka, 2005	History
Mary Keitany (32)	KEN	104	2:18:37, London, 2012	History
Edna Kiplagat (35)	KEN	105	2:19:50, London, 2012	History
Jemima Jelagat Sumgong (29)	KEN	106	2:20:41, Boston, 2014	History
Valeria Straneo (38)	ITA	107	2:23:44, Rotterdam, 2012	History
Firehiwot Dado (30)	ETH	108	2:23:15, New York City, 2011	History
Desireé Linden (31)	USA	109	2:22:28, Boston, 2011	History
Deena Kastor (41)	USA	110	2:19:36, London, 2006	History
Kara Goucher (36)	USA	111	2:24:52, Boston, 2011	History
Ana Dulce Félix (32)	POR	112	2:25:40, New York City, 2011	History
Lauren Kleppin (25)	USA	114	2:28:48, Los Angeles, 2014	History
Annie Bersagel (31)	USA	115	2:28:59, Düsseldorf, 2014	History
Sara Moreira (29)	POR	116	Debut	History
Rkia El Moukim (26)	MAR	117	Debut	History
Blake Russell (39)	USA	118	2:29:10, Chicago, 2005	History
Michelle Lilienthal (32)	USA	119	2:34:50, Minneapolis-St. Paul, 2013	History
Marci Gage (27)	USA	120	2:35:40, Duluth, 2014	History
Hilary Dionne (29)	USA	121	2:35:08, Boston, 2014	History
Jane Fardell (34)	AUS	123	2:37:35, Boston, 2013	History
Alia Gray (25)	USA	126	2:44:22, Sacramento, 2012	History
Emily Kurian (31)	USA	127	2:45:35, Green Bay, 2014	History
Kate Pallardy (29)	USA	127	2:48:51, Philadelphia, 2013	History
Priscah Jeptoo (30)	KEN		2:20:14, London, 2012	History
Laurie Knowles (37)	USA		2:36:29, Chicago, 2013	History
Alvina Begay (34)	USA		2:37:14, Tempe, 2010	History
Kasie Enman (35)	USA		2:37:14, Boston Trials, 2008	History
Teresa McWalters (29)	USA		Debut	History