NEW YORK, October 11- Two-time New York City Marathon champion Martin Lel will return to the Big Apple on November 4 to contest his third men’s title, race organisers have confirmed.
Lel, 33, is coming off a big win last month in the Rock ’n’ Roll Lisbon Half-Marathon, won the New York City Marathon in 2003 and 2007.
A three-time winner of the London Marathon (2005, 2007–2008), Lel finished second in that race last spring in 2:06:51.
The 2003 IAAF World Half-Marathon Champion, Lel was fifth in the 2008 Olympic Marathon. His marathon personal best is 2:05:15, set in his 2008 London victory.
In Lisbon on September 30, Lel ran 1:01:28 to handily defeat, among others, Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist at 10,000 meters.
He is renowned for his finishing burst to a marathon and after battling injury problems for several years, Lel returned to London in 2011.
As a replacement for the late Sammy Wanjiru whom he had led to the tape in 2008 in London, Lel vindicated the organizer’s faith with a splendid 2:05:45 second place in 2010.
A year later he again produced a daunting kick for another second place, one second ahead of Tsegaye Kebede who won in Chicago last weekend.