Elite Fields Announced for 2017 TCS New York City Marathon

By Adam Kopet

Organizers for the TCS New York City Marathon released Wednesday the elite fields that are set to compete in the 2017 edition of the Nov. 5 race. Among the athletes in this year's marathon are both the men's and women's defending champions, Ghirmay Ghebreslassie and Mary Keitany.

Earlier this week, the American professional fields were announced.

Ghebreslassie, of Eritrea, won the 2016 New York City Marathon and the 2015 IAAF World Outdoor Championships marathon. He became the youngest athlete (21) to win the New York City Marathon, running 2:07:51, the third-fastest winning time in the event's history.

Other top runners in the field include Lemi Berhanu and Lelisa Desisa, both of Ethiopia, as well as Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor. Desisa won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Kamworor finished sixth in the 10,000 meters at the recently completed IAAF World Outdoor Championships in London.

Keitany leads the way on the entry list for the women's race. The 35-year-old Kenyan has won the last three New York City Marathons, with her 2016 race featuring the largest margin of victory (3:34) since 1980. In April, Keitany won the Virgin Money London Marathon, breaking the women's only world record with her 2:17:01 clocking.

Joining Keitany on the start line are two other women who have sub-2:20:00 marathons to their names, Edna Kiplagat of Kenya and Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia. Kiplagat won the silver medal in the marathon at this year's IAAF World Outdoor Championships.

Additionally, Betsy Saina of Kenya, who trains with the Bowerman Track Club, is making her marathon debut in New York. She finished fifth in the 10,000 at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

The complete list of elite non-Americans is here.