The top Americans, along with a stellar field of international superstars, will gather in New York City this weekend for the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon. Starting in Central Park, weaving through Times Square and ending near Wall Street, athletes will explore the city of New York while chasing fast times. Led by American Dathan Ritzenhein and defending women’s champion Sally Kipyego, the NYC Half will not disappoint.

Men to Watch
Dathan Ritzenhein comes in with the fastest PB in the field with 1:00:00. He was the 2009 Bronze Medalist at the World Half Marathon Championships and has been enjoying a successful and healthy 2015 since relocating to Grand Rapids, Mich. Not including his third place showing at the USATF Cross Country Championships, Ritz was most recently seen winning the Gasparilla Half Marathon in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 22 in 1:03:17. That’s impressive, considering he didn’t decide to run the race until the week before. He will be using NYC to gear up for his Boston Marathon debut in April.

2014 Boston Marathon Champion Meb Keflezighi will bring his 1:01:00 PB to the starting line after finishing fourth at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in 1:02:18. Like Ritz, Meb is preparing for Boston, and to defend his title, in April.

University of Arizona alumni and training partners Abdi Abdirahman (1:00:29 PB) and Stephen Sambu (1:00:41) are the next top entrants. Abdi finished runner-up to Ritz in Tampa in 1:03:55 to open up his season. He was recently seen training with Mo Farah in Ethiopia and is gunning for his fifth U.S. Olympic team in 2016. Sambu had an excellent 2014, running 26:54.61 for 10,000m at the Pre Classic and winning the BAA 10k in 27:25, the fastest time in the world for a road 10k in 2014. Both are expected to be in the front pack on Sunday.

Bowerman AC teammates Matt Tegenkamp and Andrew Bumbalough are others to look out for. Tegenkamp, who just announced his entrance in the Boston Marathon, was seventh in this race last year and has run 1:02:04. For Bumbalough, this Sunday marks his half marathon debut. His 13:28 5k at the Millrose Games is a good indication of fitness, but how that will translate into the half? We’ll have to wait and see.

Women to Watch
Last year’s top three finishers will meet again in NYC. 2014 Champion Sally Kipyego, runner-up Buzunesh Deba, and third-place Molly Huddle are all returning and headline a stacked field.

Kipyego, the Olympic silver medalist for 10,000m, is fresh off her Millrose Games 3000m win. Her NYC Half time of 1:08:31 from 2014 broke the race record. Deba, an Ethiopian native who resides in the Bronx, NY, finished second in the 2014 Boston Marathon in 2:19:59. This will be her first race of 2015.

Huddle is the American record-holder for 5000m and had a huge season in 2014. She ran the No. 2 U.S. all-time 10,000m at Payton Jordan in 30:47.59, finishing runner-up to Kipyego. She then won U.S. titles in in the 5000m, 5km, 10km, 20km, 12km, and 7 miles.

Desiree Linden, one of America’s finest marathon runners, was seventh in this race last year and will be gearing up for the Boston Marathon. She was the first American to cross the finish line at the New York City Marathon in November and her half marathon PB of 1:10:34 comes from 2011.

Two-time NYC Half Champion (2011, 2013) Caroline Rotich and recent Commonwealth Games 10,000m Champion Joyce Chepkirui are others to notice in the field. Chepkirui’s PB of 1:06:19 is scary fast. She ran that en route to her 2014 Prague Half Marathon title. Most recently, she won the Honolulu Marathon in 2:30. 


Top entrants at 2015 NYC Half Marathon, Courtesy of NYRR