Mary Keitany Chases 4th Win at the TCS New York City Marathon

Things are heating up in the women’s open division for the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon which will be held on Sunday, November 4. Newly announced elites vying for the top spot include Kenyans Mary Keitany and Vivian Cheruiyot, as well as Americans Molly Huddle and the 2018 Boston Marathon’s women’s wheelchair race champion Tatyana McFadden.

A three-time titleholder at the event (2014-2016) and three-time podium finisher, Keitany secured the greatest margin of victory since 1980 in the women’s race in 2016 with her 3:24 finish ahead of American Sally Kipyego. She also became the first able-bodied runner since Grete Waitz to win three years in a row.

Last year, however, she was unable to defend her title, falling second to American Shalane Flanagan who broke the tape in 2:26:53. This year, she hopes to reclaim the top spot and get her fourth win on the historic course.

“I was disappointed not to defend my title last year, but I was not 100 percent healthy and Shalane ran a strong race. I am happy for her historic win,” said Keitany in a release. “When I came back to New York to win the NYRR New York Mini 10K in June, I showed that I am still in top shape. I will train harder than ever to win my fourth TCS New York City Marathon title in November.”

Having placed third at the event in 2016, Huddle will again take on the 26.2-mile course for the second time in her career and third time overall in this distance. In Boston this year, Huddle struggled during the race due to the day’s brutal weather conditions. Although pushing against 20-mile-per-hour winds and running in 38-degree temperatures, she came in 16th, a whole 22 minutes later than her New York City Marathon finish.

Huddle will head to the New York starting line with previously announced competitors Shalane Flanagan, the current titleholder; this year’s Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden and runner-up Sarah Sellers; the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon fifth-place finisher Allie Kieffer; and the 2016 TCS New York City Marathon runner-up Sally Kipyego.

This year’s international field will also feature the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon third-place finisher Mamitu Daska and the reigning IAAF World Half Marathon champion Netsanet Gudeta. The women’s open division currently features 10 Olympians and three Abbott World Marathon Majors race winners.

In the wheelchair division, McFadden hopes to secure a fifth win at the event having won consecutive titles from 2013-2016. Last year, the 17-time Paralympic medalist and the first-ever winner of the Abbott World Marathon Majors wheelchair series took home second, coming in behind Switzerland’s Manuela Schär.

“After finishing as runner up last year, I cannot wait to get to the start line to try to reclaim my TCS New York City Marathon title,” said McFadden in a release. “It’s been an exciting year for me, winning the Boston Marathon while also working on my career goals outside of racing. I’m now focused on chasing a sixth career title in New York, which would be the most ever at the event for a wheelchair athlete.”

Following last year’s victory on the five-borough course, Schär will return to defend her title against a stacked field which includes the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon champion Madison de Rozario, two-time New York City Marathon champion Amanda McGrory and the first-ever winner of the NYRR New York Mini 10K wheelchair race Susannah Scaroni.

To view the full professional women’s fields, visit nyrr.org.