Contacts:

NYRR Media Relations

Robert Molke: (o) 646.758.9711 (c) 646.531.2425 (e) rmolke@nyrr.org

Chris Weiller: (o) 212.320.4046 (c) 917.816.7900 (e) cweiller@nyrr.org 

 

For Immediate Release

 

Defending Champion Priscah Jeptoo and Stanley Biwott Withdraw from the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon

 

2013 Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon runner-up Jemima Sumgong of Kenya will join previously announced, sensational professional athlete fields on Sunday, November 2.

 

New York, October 3, 2014—Previously announced defending women’s champion Priscah Jeptoo and 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon runner-up Stanley Biwott, both of Kenya, have withdrawn from the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon (to be run on Sunday, November 2) due to leg injuries, it was announced today by Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. 2013 Boston Marathon Champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon runner-up Jemima Sumgong of Kenya have been added to the previously announced professional athlete fields of American and international record-setters and distance-running greats.

 

“I am very disappointed that I will not be able to defend my New York City Marathon title this year,” said Jeptoo. “Unfortunately, the injury I suffered at London in April was more serious than I thought and took me a long time to recover from. I am now 100-percent healthy, but the remaining time I have will not allow me to be ready to honor the race and my title the way I should for such a great event. I tried the last three weeks, but realized my top fitness is far away. I will refocus my training to be ready for next season and come back to New York next year in top form.”

 

Desisa, currently ranked fifth in the 2013–2014 World Marathon Majors Series standings, will challenge a historic men’s field, featuring former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang and two-time defending New York City Marathon champion and second-fastest performer of all time Geoffrey Mutai, both of Kenya. Sumgong will join a decorated collection of past New York City Marathon champions, including Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia (2011), Edna Kiplagat of Kenya (2010), and two-time champion Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia (2005, 2006).

 

Desisa, 24, will be making his New York City Marathon debut. He had an exceptional 2013 marathon campaign, recording victories in Dubai and Boston and earning a silver medal at the IAAF World Championships. His time in Dubai, 2:04:45, is the fifth-fastest debut in history. This year, he won the super-competitive RAK Half-Marathon, leading a record eight men under the one-hour barrier.

 

Sumgong, 29, finished second at the 2012 Boston Marathon and the 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and took fourth this past spring at the Boston Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:20:41. She won the 2013 Rotterdam Marathon, the 2011 Castellon de La Planta Marathon, and the 2006 Las Vegas Marathon, which was her debut at the distance. She has never finished outside of the top five in a marathon.

 

The TCS New York City Marathon will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes+ from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. For those who have video subscriptions with affiliated providers, the race will also be available via WatchESPN, available at WatchESPN.com and through the WatchESPN app. Additional coverage will be streaming live on ESPN3 via WatchESPN from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. EST and from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. EST. The race will be broadcast live in the New York City metropolitan area on WABC-TV from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST. Viewers can also watch the race on 7online or via WatchABC on mobile devices (for participating cable providers). Pre-race features from the start at Fort Wadsworth will be broadcast live at 7:00 a.m. on WABC-TV, 7online.com, and WatchABC, and a national highlights show will air from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on local ABC affiliates. International viewers can watch the broadcast via a live digital stream from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST on 7online.com or via a variety of global broadcast partners (international viewers should check local listings).

 

Last year, 50,266 runners crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon, making it the world’s largest marathon ever. Runners from more than 100 countries and each of the 50 states participated.

 

About the TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon is the most popular and inclusive marathon in the world, attracting the world’s top professional athletes and a vast range of recreational runners. The race began in 1970 with just 127 entrants racing four laps of Central Park. Today, an estimated 50,000 runners from around the world tour New York City’s five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and finishing in Central Park. Participants include Olympians, Paralympians, wheelchair racers, top age-group competitors, and many thousands who run for charity and to achieve their own personal goals. Millions of fans cheer the runners from the streets and watch the global television broadcast. The race is part of the World Marathon Majors, an alliance of the world’s six biggest marathons that determines each year’s top male and top female marathoner. The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners, the world’s foremost community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. Tata Consultancy Services, a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the Premier Partner of NYRR and is in its inaugural year as title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon.