Kenya’s Kennedy Kimutai and Edward Cheserek will also be in the highly contested race.
Two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri and World Cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo on Sunday, March 19, will lead a star-studded field for the New York City Half Marathon.
In the women’s category, Obiri who has a personal best time of 1:04:22 over the distance will be lining up alongside compatriot Irine Cheptai. Cheptai, the Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist will be lining up with a personal best time of 1:06:42.
Obiri will be seeking to extend her hot streak as she competes in her second race of the season. She won last month’s Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 1:05:05. Cheptai, the 2022 Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon champion, will be keen to kick start her season on a high.
The race will not be a walk in the park for the duo as they will be up against Olympian Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia and Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan of Great Britain. Teferi lines up with a lifetime best of 1:05:32 and she comes back after an eighth-place finish at the Jeddah Half Marathon in December 2022.
McColgan, who is set to make her marathon debut at the London Marathon will use the 21km race as a build up towards the event. The London Marathon is scheduled for April 23.
In the men’s category, Kiplimo will be joined by compatriot Joshua Cheptegei who will be running his second half marathon race in his career. Kiplimo and Cheptegei have personal best times of 57:31 and 59:21 respectively.
Kenya’s Kennedy Kimutai and Edward Cheserek will also be in the highly contested race. Together, they will look to dethrone the Ugandans. Kimutai and Cheserek have respective personal best times of 58:28 and 1:00:13.
The race will be Kimutai’s season opener but Cheserek’s second after placing eighth at the Houston Half Marathon.
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Other Kenyans in the women's race were Evaline Chirchir and Agnes Ngolo who settled for fifth and seventh places in respective times of 1:07:15 and 1:08:03.