Defending champion Priscah Jeptoo has withdrawn from November 2’s New York City Marathon, having missed considerable training time after being injured at last April’s London Marathon. Fellow Kenyan Stanley Biwott, the men’s runner-up in London in April, has also withdrawn from the race.

Concurrent with the withdrawals come two additions to New York’s elite field, 2013 Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and 2013 Chicago runner-up Jemima Sumgong of Kenya.



Jeptoo, who was also the 2012 Olympic silver medalist and 2013 London Marathon champion, explained, ”the injury I suffered at London in April was more serious than I thought and took me a long time to recover from.” She called herself “100 percent healthy” but believes she has insufficient time “to be ready to honor the race and my title the way I should.” She surmised, “my top fitness is far away.”



Desisa, who has a personal best of 2:04:05, will be racing for the first time in New York City, facing a field that includes former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang and New York’s two-time defending champion and course record holder Geoffrey Mutai. Reigning Boston champion Meb Keflezighi of the United States will also race in New York.

Sumgong was second in Boston in 2012 and fourth this April in a personal best 2:20:41. Her rivals on November 2 include past New York City winners Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia, Edna Kiplagat of Kenya and Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, along with two-time London Marathon champion Mary Keitany of Kenya and Buzunesh Deba, an Ethiopian-born Bronx resident who's been the runner-up in the last two New York City Marathons.

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