体坛英语新闻：Marathon novices Jepkosgei, Wacera seek to steal the thunder in New York

NAIROBI, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- World half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya will make a second attempt to win the full marathon distance in New York on Sunday.

Jepkosgei, who made her debut over the 42km distance in London in April, was unlucky as she failed the test and could not complete the race.

However, she returned home to train and after months of intense labor in Eldoret, the 25-year-old is ready for action in the Big Apple on Nov. 3.

"I know I made my first show in a marathon in London and was not that lucky. That is why I want to treat New York as another debut in the marathon. I was in New York in March and was strong to win the half marathon race. It was a great half marathon to see how my body feels," Jepkosgei said on Monday.

But the field will be changed when she returns to the United States for the New York marathon on Sunday as she will be up against defending champion Mary Keitany, the third-fastest woman of all time (2:17:01).

Brigid Kosgei has reshuffled the tables with a fast run in Chicago earlier this month when she posted a new world record of 2:14:04. She shred Paula Radcliffe's record that had stood since 2003 of 2:15:25.

Last year, Keitany produced one of the finest runs in New York history to win the race by over three minutes after an astonishing 66:58 second half.

Keitany will be joined by Degefa (2:17:41) fourth-fastest of all-time, who built up a big early lead to win Boston in April, and another Ethiopian, Ruti Aga (2:18:34), who won Tokyo in February. Linden, Kellyn Taylor (2:24:29), and Sara Hall (2:26:20) lead the U.S. contenders.

"At this level of competition, you always expect big names. I may be a novice in the marathon, but I believe I will be able to carve my own niche," she added.

"I would like to achieve a time of around 2:22. I have to wait and see how my body reacts to the race, then I will see what kind of form I am in. Then I will determine my final goal."

There is also the 40-year-old Kenyan Nancy Kiprop, who is coming off a 2:22:12 run in winning in Vienna, Austria in April while Mary Ngugi Wacera also has an outside chance to dominate in New York, which will be her second marathon since making her debut in Boston in April where she finished seventh.

"I will be more focused on the race," Wacera said. "New York is a difficult course just like Boston, so I'm not so focused on the time, but if I can improve on my time, I will be happy."

Wacera had set up a training camp in Nyahururu and has a personal best time of 2:58:33 recorded in Boston.