Galen Rupp sets New York City Marathon debut; Abdi Abdirahman sets farewell

Four-time Olympian Galen Rupp will race the New York City Marathon for the first time on Nov. 6, when five-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman will race his final career marathon at age 45.

Rupp, 36, and Abdirahman are part of a men’s elite field that also includes defending champion Albert Korir of Kenya, reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and 2020 London Marathon winner Shura Kitata.

The other standout Americans are 2016 Olympian Jared Ward, Scott Fauble and Leonard Korir.

Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s top male marathoner, will not run New York City. He is committed to the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 25.

Rupp won the 2017 Chicago Marathon and placed second in Boston in 2017 and Chicago last year, plus earned an Olympic bronze medal in 2016.

On July 17, Rupp placed 19th at the world championships in his native Oregon. Rupp said before the race that he missed training time due to a herniated disk and pinched nerve in his back and a mild COVID bout, according to Runner’s World.

“I’m getting better, believe it or not,” Rupp, 36, said that day. “I did the best I could, but I wasn’t able to get all the work in.”

The last U.S. male runner to win New York City was Meb Keflezighi in 2009.

Abdirahman raced the 10,000m at the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008, then the marathon in 2012 and 2021 with a top overall finish of 10th. Last year, he became the oldest U.S. Olympic runner in history.

The New York City women’s field hasn’t been announced, but Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir has committed to defend her title. In a nine-month stretch, Jepchirchir won Boston, New York City and the Olympics, something no other marathoner has done over the course of a career.

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