Kim Smith Discusses NYC Marathon Strategy

She will be taking into account a strong Kenyan contingent.

Fresh and confident from her victory at last month’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon, New Zealand’s Kim Smith is now preparing to tackle her next race: next month’s ING New York City Marathon.

She aspires to be the third New Zealander to win the prestigious marathon, following Allison Roe (1981) and Rod Dixon (1986).

Smith’s last marathon was a bit of a disaster. She had been leading at this year’s Boston Marathon all the way to the 17-mile mark, but was forced to drop out due to a calf injury.

“Any niggle can turn into something larger,” Smith admits. “You’ve got to be 100 percent healthy on the start line. At Boston, I felt a minor twinge a couple of days beforehand, then it became a big problem during the race.”

Smith hasn’t ruled out using the same front-running tactics in New York, however she remains realistic trying to steal the early lead from the Kenyan runners.

“This time, I’ll try to be more conservative in how hard I go out, but you’ve got to take the Kenyans into account,” she says. “They have been dominant this year and they are tough to beat, especially as a unit. It is daunting running against them.”

For More: NZ Herald