Agnes Ng'etich in a past action/ FILE

‎Newly crowned world cross country champion Agnes Ng’etich says she is unfazed by the prospect of going toe-to-toe with Kenyan distance queens Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi at Sunday’s New York Half Marathon.
‎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.
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‎“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. 
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‎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).