Some 40,000 runners will converge on New York City this Sunday, November 1, 2009 for the ING NYC Marathon. Organizers have developed a stellar elite field, and this weekend's race promises to be one to remember. Race fans in Dallas can catch coverage of the New York City Marathon by tuning into UniversalSports.com or NBC Sports.
On the men's side, the New York City Marathon will see a number of American elite runners with hopes of capturing a win. Ryan Hall has yet to win a marathon, but his performances in shorter distances -- including an American half-marathon record -- show that he has the potential. Abdi Abdirahman, a three-time Olympian, also has the ability to impress in New York. Meb Keflezighi is another runner to watch, and American Brian Sell will be running his final marathon before retirement.
The American runners will face tough competition from Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya, Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, Martin Lel of Kenya and defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos from Brazil.
On the women's side, the New York City Marathon is headlined by one runner in particular -- defending champion Paula Radcliffe. After a disappointing summer that saw her pull out of the IAAF World Championships and the World Half Marathon Championships, Radcliffe may feel like she has something to prove in New York. She has won eight of the 10 marathons she's entered, so she's undoubtedly the favorite to win.
Radcliffe will face competition from Salina Kosgei of Kenya, Ludmila Petrova of Russia and Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia. A number of American elites will also be running, including Heidi Westover, Magdalena Lewy Boulet and Joan Benoit Samuelson.
Numerous celebrities will also run the New York City Marathon, many of them for charity. Edward Norton and Alanis Morisette are both running the NYC Marathon to benefit the Maasai Conservation Trust.
The ING New York City Marathon will be broadcast live on UniversalSports.com. The live Internet coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. in Dallas. NBC Sports will also be airing a two-hour recap starting at 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. in Dallas. Check your local listings to find NBC Sports on your cable lineup.
Other running articles:
Kenyan runners rock the Frankfurt Marathon
Alanis Morissette runs the Bizz Johnson Marathon
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Mentzer, Gurmu win the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon (slideshow)
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