Ethiopian Tamirat Tola will defend his championship at the New York City Marathon in an attempt to become just the second athlete to win both the Olympic title and the five-borough major in the same year.
Tola claimed he was drawing inspiration from Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir who broke the tape in Manhattan after winning in Tokyo three years earlier. He established a new course record in New York last year. The athlete admitted: “I did actually speak with Peres when we ran together in London. She said to me that just as she won the Olympics and New York, that she believes that I can do the same thing as well.”
When Tola conquered the difficult Paris course earlier this month, he shattered the Olympic record– an incredible feat considering that he wasn’t even on the team at first. The 2022 world champion told reporters that the rugged New York course is ideal for him and that he has no concerns about adding the difficult race to his schedule so soon after the Games.
“I’ve been recovering well, and I’ve begun training a little bit. I trust the training that the coach gives me. New York is a course that I like,” he remarked.
In addition to Tola, Kenyan bronze medallist Hellen Obiri will be defending her title in the women’s division at the year’s final major.
Source: CNA