Desisa, Kamworor Ready to Challenge for Victory

By Scott Bush

The battle for the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon title came down to two men. On one side you had Wilson Kipsang (KEN), the former world record holder and arguably the greatest marathoner alive. On the other you had Lelisa Desisa (ETH), the winner of both the Dubai Marathon and Boston Marathon in 2013.

After the two men pulled clear of the rest of the field, it was Desisa charging ahead, doing his best to break Kipsang, who’s speed led him to a 2:03:23 best in 2013 at the BMW Berlin Marathon. The back-and-forth raged on until Kipsang, with one fell swoop, pushed ahead in Central Park, never to look back.

Kipsang returns this year, as does Desisa, in what hopes to be another fine clash of champions. While they remain the two pre-race favorites, they have plenty of other competition including two former NYC champions, a 22 year old who’s looking to become the best distance runner in the world and a host of other notable challengers.

Both Kipsang and Desisa enter Sunday’s action looking to redeem themselves after failing to win medals at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing this summer. Kipsang didn’t finish the race, while Desisa ran to seventh place.

Both men have proven to bounce back from marathons fairly well and seek to continue the momentum earned in the spring, which saw Desisa win his second Boston Marathon title and Kispang place second at the Virgin Money London Marathon.

Last year’s winning effort of 2:10:59 was the slowest winning time since 1995, when Mexico’s German Silva ran 2:11:00. While the key contenders in the field are certainly capable of running faster, the early pace set by Kipsang and Desisa will help determine the final time in New York. Don’t be surprised to see a negative split for the winner.

Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) and Meb Keflezighi (USA) both bring plenty of experience to the table and are always in contention for a top three finish. Gebremariam won the New York City title in 2010, while Keflezighi won in 2009. In 2014, the former placed third, while the latter came in fourth. Both are notably healthy and ready to challenge.

Perhaps the most notable runner to keep an eye on is Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN). The 22 year old already owns a laundry list of accomplishments, including a silver medal from the 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships this summer, a world title at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships earlier this year and a gold medal last year at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.

Kamworor, while young, already owns three marathon finishes to his name, including his 2:06:12 best in Berlin in 2012, when he placed third behind Geoffrey Mutai and world record holder Dennis Kimetto. With a head of steam entering Sunday’s competition, Kamworor is the only athlete to watch with both the talent and drive to upset the experienced champions up front.

Desisa’s and Gebremariam’s fellow countryman Yemane Tsegaye is another notable entry not to be overlooked. Tsegaye won silver in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships, while holding a personal best of 2:04:48. Tsegaye finished second in Boston to Desisa earlier in the year and has run sub-2:10 twelve times. Consistency makes the 30 year old a sure contender at least for a top three finish, if not the win.

The fifth sub-2:05 athlete in the field is Stanley Biwott. The Kenyan owns a 2:04:55 best, which came in a runner-up finish to Kipsang at the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon. He placed fourth in London this year and has experience in New York, having finished fifth overall in 2013.

After Keflezighi, Nick Arciniaga is next most notable American entered. The Flagstaff-based veteran is a consistent top ten threat whenever he races and looks to improve upon his tenth place finish from 2014, while boosting his credentials ever so slightly heading into the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February.

Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi, who finished one spot behind Arciniaga in eleventh last year, joins Daniele Meucci (ITA), Zicheng Li (CHN) and Juan Luis Barrios (MEX) as the other notable international contenders. Meucci enters off an eighth place performance at the IAAF World Championships in the marathon.

Rounding out the top American contingent, Craig Leon looks to challenge his best of 2:13:53, while Chris Bendtsen and Will Nation make their 26.2 mile debuts.

Another year with one of the finest of world class fields, along with some intriguing matchups, give Sunday’s TCS New York City Marathon the flash and substance which continually makes it one of the premier marathons in the world.