Can This Former Track Star Win the New York City Marathon?

Published November 2, 2023 06:48PM

Edward Cheserek has wanted to race the New York City Marathon ever since he was a teenage runner in New Jersey. His objective to attempt the distance of 26.2 miles is part of his long-term blueprint as he transitions away from the track and onto the road.

So far, the 29-year-old—who left behind a legacy at the University of Oregon as the most decorated NCAA runner in history with 17 national titles—is proving he can measure up as he matures into longer road races. His long-awaited marathon debut is one the most intriguing in recent memory.

“I’ve been running track for a long time, and I feel like I’m losing my speed,” Cheserek said. “That’s why I decided this [marathon] is the best option. I decided to move up slowly.”

Of the six half marathons that Cheserek has competed in—his longest competitive distance to date—he has finished in the top ten in every race, including winning the Copenhagen Half Marathon in 59:11 in September. Cheserek admitted that even he was surprised and described himself as “rusty” in what was only his third road race in 2023.

‘The Hard Work Is the Training’

Now, Cheserek says he is “ready and excited” when he talks about competing in the New York City Marathon, taking place at 9:10 A.M. ET on Sunday, November 5. The world’s largest marathon, and one of the most iconic sporting events across the globe, is expected to include more than 50,000 runners from 150 countries.

The New York City Marathon also brings together one of the toughest competitive fields in the sport, but unlike other major marathons like Berlin, this race does not have pacemakers as it is not a world record-focused course. Cheserek will compete in the men’s open division that will include 2021 New York City Marathon winner Albert Korir of Kenya, 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata of Ethiopia, as well as Somali-Dutch runner Abdi Nageeye, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist in the marathon. Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, the 2022 world champion who has run a personal best of 2:03:39, is the fastest entrant in New York’s elite field.

Cheserek’s opponents, however, will no longer include defending champion Evans Chebet and two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor, both of whom withdrew from the marathon in mid-October. Chebet offered Cheserek a few words prior to his debut, “The hard work is training, but the race is easier.”

Preparing for the Podium

Cheserek began his marathon training in June, running upwards of 150 miles a week, his longest run topping out at 25 miles. Though he is based in Flagstaff, Arizona—a distance running hotbed 7,000 feet above sea level—Cheserek opted to prepare for the marathon while living in Kaptagat, Kenya, located nearly 8,000 feet above sea level and offering a better training advantage compared to in Flagstaff, he says. In Kenya, Cheserek said he would often run alongside Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October.

“He has more experience than me,” Cheserek says, laughing. “It was tough, but nothing is easy in training.”

Cheserek trains under the guidance of Andy Powell, his college coach with whom he has returned to train after a brief stint with Stephen Haas, coach of 2022 New York City women’s champion, Sharon Lokedi. Cheserek relied on workout instructions via email and text and twice weekly check-ins with Powell.

And though Cheserek is based in the U.S., he officially represents Kenya in competitions, a decision he made in 2020 as he awaits to become an American citizen. His goal is to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Born in Kapchebau village in the Rift Valley of Kenya, Cheserek grew up on a farm, the fourth oldest of seven siblings. He is a member of the Marakwet, a subgroup of the Kalenjin, a tribe known for its world-dominating runners that includes two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, the first man to run a marathon in less than two hours.

Cheserek, however, got his start in soccer before his father encouraged him to run. Though he hails from a family of runners, Cheserek is the only one to have taken his ability to an elite level. In 2010, at age 14, Cheserek left his family in Kenya and moved to the U.S. alone after he accepted a scholarship to attend St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey.

He quickly developed into a high school running phenom, winning two national titles in cross-country and setting the national record for two miles. Cheserek’s talent catapulted him into the public eye as he became one of the nation’s fastest high school runners and a blue-chip recruit.

After Cheserek enrolled at the University of Oregon, at the time he was described in the media as one of the most exciting talents in the sport. His storied collegiate career included 14 national titles in track and three in cross-country. He became a 21-time All American by the time he graduated from Oregon in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in business. That same year, Cheserek signed a sponsorship deal with the Skechers Performance Team.

Cheserek’s foray onto the pro circuit has yet to match the illustrious career he experienced as an amateur. Although he ran a 3:49.44 indoor mile in 2018 as a first-year pro—the second-fastest in history, at the time—he has not been on a podium at a world championship or at the Olympics, partly due to the complexity of what country he’d represent and, therefore, attempt to qualify for such prestigious global competitions.

But Cheserek remains hopeful that more is to come, and perhaps the marathon is what he is uniquely qualified to do, more so than what he has accomplished on the track. On the starting line near the base of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island on Sunday, Cheserek will quickly figure that out.

And though he admitted feeling a little intimidated to run his first marathon stacked against some of the world’s best, “It’s going to be tough,” Cheserek said, adding, “I’m prepared for whatever happens.”