Posted: September 12, 2007

Athletics (RWire): Former Champions Martin Lel and Rodgers Rop Return to the ING New York City Marathon 2007

"Best of the men" also includes last year's runner-up Stephen Kiogora and London runner-up Abderrahim Goumri NEW YORK - (September 11, 2007) - Former ING New York City Marathon champions Martin Lel and Rodgers Rop, both of Kenya, will return to the scene of their biggest career victories at the 38th running of the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg. Joining 2003 champion Lel and the 2002 winner Rop in the field will be last year's New York runner-up Stephen Kiogora of Kenya and Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri, who was second at the Flora London Marathon in April. This quartet joins a championships men's field already headlined by the previously announced defending champion, Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, and 2004 champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa. "What a stellar nucleus to our men's field: four former champions and the reigning gold and silver medalists from New York and London," said Wittenberg. "Each man is good enough to win here in 2007." Lel, 28, has not run in New York since his victory four years ago, as late-season injuries forced him to withdraw from the 2005 and 2006 races. However, he showed that he was in winning form earlier this season when he held off Goumri in a sprint finish to win in London in a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 41 seconds. Lel also won the Flora London Marathon in 2005 and was second there in 2006; he was third in 2003 and 2004 at the Boston Marathon. In 2002, Rop, 31, won a special spot in the sport's history by becoming one of only five men to win both the Boston and New York City Marathons in the same year. Rop has thrived in New York, having notched a third-place performance in 2001 and a second-place showing in 2003 around his championship run. He lowered his personal best to 2:07:32 by winning the Conenergy Hamburg Marathon in April. Both Gourmi, 31, and Kiogora, 32, will be looking to climb one up one more spot on the victory podium after recent heartbreaking losses. Goumri lost by three seconds to Lel in London, and Kiogora's late rally fell eight seconds short of catching Gomes at the tape in New York a year ago. In Boston this year, Kiogora was third in 2:14:47. This year's professional field will be competing for a piece of the more than $600,000 prize purse, and a chance to win one of the biggest road races in the world in front of global audience of more than 315 million people. The ING New York City Marathon is the last race in the inaugural 2006-07 World Marathon Majors series that showcases the sport's top athletes and awards an unprecedented $1 million champion's prize. The WMM also includes the Boston Marathon, Flora London Marathon, real,- Berlin-Marathon and LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. For more information, visit: INGNYCMarathon.org. Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director (805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016 Ryan@RunningUSA.org www.RunningUSA.org. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest