Kipyegon, Moraa chase big payday at Athlos New York Meet
FILE: Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (R) leads ahead of Italy's Nadia Battocletti and Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay in the women's 5000m heat of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 2, 2024. (Photo by Martin BERNETTI / AFP)
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The four-time world champion will defend her title against a strong line-up that includes fellow Kenyan Susan Ejore, Australia’s Jessica Hull, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and Freweyni Hailu, and American Nikki Hiltz.
Kipyegon, who is already in New York, shared her excitement on social media saying, “One more time on the start line this season, see you on Friday.”
In Tokyo, Kipyegon won her fourth world title in the 1500m before returning to take silver in the 5,000m, where she shared the podium with fellow Kenyan and world record holder Beatrice Chebet.
She has been almost unstoppable this season and will be the clear favourite at Icahn Stadium, where she also won last year.
But it won’t be an easy race. Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the indoor world record holder in the 1500m, is one of her biggest rivals. Tsegay has three world titles and an Olympic bronze medal, and she knows how to challenge Kipyegon if she chooses her front running technique.
American star Nikki Hiltz will also be one to watch. The U.S. champion finished fifth at the recent World Championships and is famous for a strong finishing kick that can change any race.
Hiltz will be joined by her training partner, Kenyan Olympian Susan Ejore-Sanders, who holds the national indoor mile record and has shown great form this season.
Another Ethiopian, Freweyni Hailu, will also be in the mix. The two-time world indoor champion finished sixth in the 1500m in Tokyo and will be out to challenge for the top spots.
Kenya’s Mary Moraa will also be in action in the women’s 800m. The World Championships finalist will face familiar rivals including Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, world silver medallist Georgia Bell, and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin.
Their clash will remind fans of last year’s thrilling race, where Duguma beat Moraa in 1:57.43 as the Kenyan finished second in 1:58.05.
Athlos NYC, known as the world’s first women-only premier track event, has huge prize money on offer — $60,000 (Ksh7.7 million) for winners, $25,000 (KSh3.2 million) for second place, and $10,000 (KSh1.2 million) for third.
Organisers have also set aside a massive $250,000 (Ksh32.3 million) bonus for any world record broken at the one-day meet.
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