Tola and Obiri Defend Titles at NYC Marathon

Olympic champions Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri are set to defend their titles at the TCS New York City Marathon on November 3. Tola, who won last year's race with a record time of 2:04:58, recently claimed Olympic gold in Paris, while Obiri captured bronze at the same event. The competition includes notable athletes such as Belgian silver medalist Bashir Abdi, and past champions from Kenya like Evans Chebet, Geoffrey Kamworor, and Albert Korir. Tola aims to be the first man to win consecutive NYC Marathons since Geoffrey Mutai in 2013, and Obiri seeks to become the first woman to do so since Mary Keitany from 2014-2016. The race features a total prize pool of $534,000, with time bonuses available for breaking course records. The marathon will be broadcast on ESPN2, showcasing elite distance running on a prestigious global stage.