Some top runners in Sunday's New York City Marathon, with age, country and race bib number:
MEN
MEB KEFLEZIGHI, 29, United States, 2 Silver medalist at 2004 Olympics. ... Seventh at 2003 Chicago Marathon. ... Ninth at 2002 NYC Marathon. ... American record holder at 10,000 and 20,000 meters.
CHRISTOPHER CHEBOIBOCH, 27, Kenya, 3 Winner of 2004 Leipzig Marathon. ... Third in 2003 NYC Marathon. ... Second in New York and Boston in 2002. First in City-Pier Half-Marathon this year. ... Owns a grocery store.
MICHAEL ROTICH, 22, Kenya, 5 Making NYC Marathon debut. ... Second at Rotterdam Marathon this year. ... Won 2003 Paris Marathon and finished year ranked fifth. ... Has same name as Kenyan 800-meter runner at 2004 Olympics.
OTTAVIO ANDRIANI, 30, Italy, 6 Finished sixth in NYC Marathon last year and second in the Turin Marathon. .. Two-time European Championships Marathon competitor. ... Ran personal best 2:09.07 in Milan in 2001.
TIMOTHY CHERIGAT, 27, Kenya, 8 Won Boston Marathon this year. ... Last year, finished 11th in New York and fourth in Boston. ... Ran a personal best 2:09.34 in 2002.
WOMEN
MARGARET OKAYO, 28, Kenya, F1 Won 2003 NYC Marathon in a course-record 2:22.31. Also won New York in 2002. ... Won 2004 London Marathon but had to drop out of the Olympic marathon with an injury. ... Reigned as champion of New York and Boston Marathons in 2001-02, the first woman to do so since Uta Pippig in 1993-94.
DEENA KASTOR, 31, United States, F2 Won bronze at 2003 Olympic marathon, becoming first American runner to win a medal in the event since Joan Benoit took gold in 1984. ... Third in 2003 London Marathon. ... Made marathon debut in New York in 2001, finishing seventh.
LORNAH KIPLAGAT, 30, Netherlands, F3 Fifth in 2004 Olympics 10,000 meters. ... Third in 2003 NYC Marathon. ... Fourth at 2003 world championships in 10,000 ... A native of Kenya, she became a Dutch citizen last year after marrying her agent, Pieter Langerhorst.
BENITA JOHNSON, 25, Australia, F9 Making marathon debut. ... Reigning world cross country champion in 8K. ... Finished 24th at Olympic 10,000 after being hampered with an injury. ... Former member of Australia's junior international field hockey team.
PAULA RADCLIFFE, 30, Britain, F111 World record-holder in 2:15.25. ... Forced to withdraw from 2004 Olympics with an injury. ... Won 2003 London Marathon. ... Won Chicago and London marathons in 2002. ... Won gold in 2001 and 2002 world cross country championships.
</WIRE_BODY>Associated Press report
MEN
MEB KEFLEZIGHI, 29, United States, 2 Silver medalist at 2004 Olympics. ... Seventh at 2003 Chicago Marathon. ... Ninth at 2002 NYC Marathon. ... American record holder at 10,000 and 20,000 meters.
CHRISTOPHER CHEBOIBOCH, 27, Kenya, 3 Winner of 2004 Leipzig Marathon. ... Third in 2003 NYC Marathon. ... Second in New York and Boston in 2002. First in City-Pier Half-Marathon this year. ... Owns a grocery store.
MICHAEL ROTICH, 22, Kenya, 5 Making NYC Marathon debut. ... Second at Rotterdam Marathon this year. ... Won 2003 Paris Marathon and finished year ranked fifth. ... Has same name as Kenyan 800-meter runner at 2004 Olympics.
OTTAVIO ANDRIANI, 30, Italy, 6 Finished sixth in NYC Marathon last year and second in the Turin Marathon. .. Two-time European Championships Marathon competitor. ... Ran personal best 2:09.07 in Milan in 2001.
TIMOTHY CHERIGAT, 27, Kenya, 8 Won Boston Marathon this year. ... Last year, finished 11th in New York and fourth in Boston. ... Ran a personal best 2:09.34 in 2002.
WOMEN
MARGARET OKAYO, 28, Kenya, F1 Won 2003 NYC Marathon in a course-record 2:22.31. Also won New York in 2002. ... Won 2004 London Marathon but had to drop out of the Olympic marathon with an injury. ... Reigned as champion of New York and Boston Marathons in 2001-02, the first woman to do so since Uta Pippig in 1993-94.
DEENA KASTOR, 31, United States, F2 Won bronze at 2003 Olympic marathon, becoming first American runner to win a medal in the event since Joan Benoit took gold in 1984. ... Third in 2003 London Marathon. ... Made marathon debut in New York in 2001, finishing seventh.
LORNAH KIPLAGAT, 30, Netherlands, F3 Fifth in 2004 Olympics 10,000 meters. ... Third in 2003 NYC Marathon. ... Fourth at 2003 world championships in 10,000 ... A native of Kenya, she became a Dutch citizen last year after marrying her agent, Pieter Langerhorst.
BENITA JOHNSON, 25, Australia, F9 Making marathon debut. ... Reigning world cross country champion in 8K. ... Finished 24th at Olympic 10,000 after being hampered with an injury. ... Former member of Australia's junior international field hockey team.
PAULA RADCLIFFE, 30, Britain, F111 World record-holder in 2:15.25. ... Forced to withdraw from 2004 Olympics with an injury. ... Won 2003 London Marathon. ... Won Chicago and London marathons in 2002. ... Won gold in 2001 and 2002 world cross country championships.
</WIRE_BODY>Associated Press report
