The 2023 United Airlines NYC Half, set to take place on Sunday (19), will feature a highly anticipated rematch between global gold medallists Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo in the men’s race.
Cheptegei is an Olympic and world champion on the track and holds world records in the 5000m and 10,000m events, while Kiplimo is the world half marathon and cross country champion who set the world half marathon record of 57:31 in Lisbon last year.
After their recent clash at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, where Kiplimo won gold and Cheptegei took bronze, the pair will face off once again.
Cheptegei holds an 8-2 lead in their career head-to-head record, but Kiplimo has been victorious in their two cross-country meetings and one half-marathon clash.
The race will take place on a challenging course that goes from Brooklyn to Manhattan, adding to the excitement of the event. “There’s so much running history in New York, and the city has seen so many champions battling it out in iconic races. I want to add to that history,” said Cheptegei, who will be running his second half marathon.
The women’s race will also feature top competitors, including defending champion Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia, three-time United Airlines NYC Half winner Molly Huddle of the USA, and two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya.
Teferi broke Huddle’s event record last year and also set a women-only world record of 14:29 for 5km in 2021.
Both races will feature a talented field, with notable runners such as two-time Olympic medallist Galen Rupp of the USA and 2017 Chicago Marathon winner, as well as Kenya’s Kennedy Kimutai and Edward Cheserek, and Morocco’s Mourad Maroufit.
In the women’s race, the field includes Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli-Grovdal, USA’s Des Linden, and Kenya’s Irine Cheptai.
Huddle returns to the NYC Half for the first time since giving birth to her daughter and is eager to continue her successful history at the event. “I’m excited to return to the race for the first time in six years, with a different mindset towards training and racing since the birth of my daughter,” she said.
The United Airlines NYC Half promises to be an exciting event, with top athletes from around the world competing on a challenging course in one of the most iconic cities in the world.
