The New York showdown is shaping up to be a thrilling clash and could well set the tone for an electrifying duel among some of Kenya’s finest distance runners. Making her half-marathon debut on American soil, Ng’etich could not hide her excitement ahead of the high-profile contest. “First of all, I am so excited to run with these elite athletes,” she said.
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The distance ace, however, admitted that a few nerves have crept in as the race draws closer. “I am a little bit nervous but really excited.”
Despite the intimidating line-up, Ng’etich insists she will not burden herself with pressure as she prepares to square off against two of the sport’s most decorated names.
“I don't have to put myself under pressure. Of course, Lokedi and Obiri are there, but I hope to run my race, and they will run theirs. We will meet at the finish line.”
Ng’etich believes the New York race comes at the perfect moment in her season, following her breakthrough on the global stage earlier this year.
“This is like a season opener. I opened my year with the World Cross Country, this will be my second race, and I'm really happy to run in New York,” she said.
At the World Cross Country Championships on January 10 in Tallahassee, Florida, Ng’etich reigned supreme, producing a commanding run to cut the tape in 31:28 and claim her first global crown.
The Kenyan sensation is also still finding her rhythm over the half-marathon distance, with just two 21km races under her belt.
Even so, she heads into Sunday’s showdown boasting the quickest mark in the field, a 1:03:04 clocking during her triumph at the Valencia Half Marathon in 2024, the second-fastest time in history.
Meanwhile, Lokedi heads into the contest as the defending champion, having claimed last year's crown in 1:07:04 to outkick American Fiona O’Keeffe (1:07:46) and Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery (1:07:49). Lokedi is, however, still relatively new to the 21km distance.
She made her debut at the Great North Run in 2021, finishing fourth in 1:09:53, and followed that with another fourth-place finish in New York in 2022 (1:08:14).
That race was won by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi (1:07:35), with Kenya’s Irine Cheptai (1:07:37) and Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal (1:08:07) completing the podium.
Lokedi’s most recent half-marathon outing came at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September last year, where she rocketed to second place in a personal best of 1:05:00, finishing behind Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw (1:04:44). But if Lokedi carries the confidence of a defending champion, Obiri brings the aura of a proven conqueror.
A two-time champion of both the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon, Obiri is no stranger to delivering on big stages.
She claimed the 2023 New York half-marathon crown in 1:07:21, surging clear to defeat Teferi (1:07:55) and Grovdal (1:09:53).
Her half-marathon resume sparkles with victories in Istanbul (1:04:48, 2022), Ras Al Khaimah (1:05:05, 2023), Tyne (1:07:05 in 2022 and 1:07:42 in 2021) and Buri (1:07:45, 2022).
