Reigning Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and Fiona O’Keeffe have both withdrawn from the New York City Marathon scheduled for November 1, leaving the elite women’s race without two of its most prominent competitors, NBC Sports reported on Wednesday.
Sifan Hassan Cites Illness Following Busy Racing Schedule
Hassan pointed to an ongoing illness that disrupted her training block. The 2024 Olympic champion has not competed since finishing sixth in New York last November with a time of 2:24:43, which marked her debut on the course. That performance arrived just nine weeks after she won the Sydney Marathon in a course record of 2:18:22, following a third-place finish in London that April.
In March, she withdrew from the London Marathon due to an Achilles injury sustained in a treadmill incident. Her personal best of 2:13:44, set in Chicago in 2023, stood as the fastest mark on the initial start list published by New York Road Runners in August.
Fiona O’Keeffe Undergoes Surgery for Tendon Tear
O’Keeffe, 28, withdrew from the race following a surgical procedure last week at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. She previously scratched from the Boston Marathon in April due to a hamstring problem. An MRI at the end of September revealed that a partial tear sustained before Boston had developed into a fully retracted tendon tear on her left side, necessitating a proximal hamstring repair.
O’Keeffe won the 2024 Olympic Trials in Orlando on her marathon debut in 2:22:10. She started the Paris Olympic marathon injured and dropped out before the 5-kilometer mark with a hip issue. Of the two marathons she has started since Orlando, she has finished one: fourth in New York in 2:22:49, a time no American woman had bettered there. Emma Grace Hurley established a new benchmark this past Sunday in Chicago with a time of 2:20:47, eclipsing that previous record.
Elite Field Adjustments and Leading American Contenders
With Hassan’s withdrawal, the fastest time on the start list now belongs to defending champion Hellen Obiri, who finished second in London in April in 2:15:53. Obiri won the New York race last year in a course record of 2:19:51, and Sheila Chepkirui, the 2024 champion and third a year ago, is also returning to the field.
The leading American runners now positioned to contend in New York include Jess McClain, who ran 2:20:49 for fifth at Boston in April; Annie Frisbie, who placed fifth in New York last year; and Weini Kelati, the American half-marathon record holder who will be making her debut at the full distance.
Frequently Asked Questions About the New York City Marathon Withdrawals
Why did Sifan Hassan withdraw from the New York City Marathon?
Hassan withdrew because a sickness slowed down her training and she is not where she wanted to be.
What injury forced Fiona O’Keeffe to have surgery?
O’Keeffe underwent a proximal hamstring repair at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, after an MRI revealed that an old partial tear from her Boston Marathon buildup had progressed to a fully retracted tendon tear.
Who now holds the fastest time on the women’s start list?
Defending champion Hellen Obiri holds the fastest time on the updated start list, having run 2:15:53 to place second in London in April.
Emma Grace Hurley surpassed the previous standard when she clocked 2:20:47 in Chicago on Sunday.