NEW YORK – 2013 Virgin Money London Marathon champion and 2012–2013 World Marathon Majors leader Tsegaye Kebede, double ING New York City Marathon winner and two-time Virgin Money London champion Martin Lel, and 2013 IAAF World Championships Marathon silver medalist Valeria Straneo will compete in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 3, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
The U.S. and international men and women’s professional entrants were previously announced.
- Kebede, 26, of Ethiopia, is the 2008 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist and reigning Virgin Money London Marathon champion (2:06:04), as well as the winner of the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a personal-best time of 2:04:38. He is also the 2011 ING New York City Marathon bronze medalist. Kebede is currently in first place on the men’s 2012-2013 WMM series leaderboard. He also won the 2010 Virgin London Marathon (2:05:19).
- Lel, 34, of Kenya, is a five-time marathon champion. He won the ING New York City Marathon in 2003 (2:10:30) and 2007 (2:09:04). He is also a three-time London Marathon Champion, claiming crowns in 2005 (2:07:26), 2007 (2:07:41), and 2008 (2:05:15), and setting a course record and personal best in the 2008 race, while also becoming the youngest man with five major victories.
- Straneo, 37, of Italy recently earned the silver medal in the marathon at the 2013 IAAF World Championships with a time of 2:25:58. In 2012 at the Rotterdam Marathon, she broke the 12-year-old Italian marathon record with a personal-best time of 2:23:44. Straneo is also a 2012 Olympian in the marathon and the Italian half-marathon record holder (1:07:46).
“We are honored to add Tsegaye, Martin, and Valeria to our star quality professional athlete field that includes 32 Olympians and seven national record-holders,” said Wittenberg. “Our hearts will move with their feet as we watch their inspiring stories unfold, and ignite the marathon dreams of the more than 45,000 runners who will follow their lead.”
