Team USA Minnesota stars Josh Moen and Jason Lehmkuhle face a powerful field at the USA Men's Marathon Championships held in conjunction with the ING New York City Marathon this Sunday.Americans toeing the starting line on Staten Island for the race through the five boroughs of New York include Ryan Hall, who sports a ripping 2:06:17 PR, Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Abdi Abdirahman, a three-time Olympic 10,000 meter finalist who won his fourth USA 10 Mile title at the Medtronic TC 10 Mile earlier this month, 2008 Olympic marathoner Brian Sell, and marathon debutante Jorge Torres, a two-time USA 8K champion.
Headlining the international men's field are two-time NYC champion Martin Lel of Kenya, compatriot James Kwanbai, whose 2:04:27 PR is the third-fastest marathon ever run, and Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, the Olympic marathon silver medalist in 2008.
Moen, who nearly won an upset victory over Abdirahman at the USA 10 Mile Championships running the 5th-fastest 10 mile ever by an American, is an intriguing prospect in the championship. He looks to improve mightily on his debut 2:23:16 marathon run in the cold rains of the 2008 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon.
"My training this year for the marathon has been different in that I've done more racing and actually done less work than in the past," Moen said in a Team USA Minnesota media release. "This has made my legs feel fresher and given me more of a pop in my stride. Jason and I have been doing the harder workouts together.
"I think New York will go very well," he added. "I'm not sure how well but it's going to be good. I want to run competitively to the end in the U.S. Championship. Jason has given me some insights from his experience at New York. I'm expecting Manhattan to be the point where I need to relax and not be fueled too much by the crowds as there will still be nine miles to go."
Lehkuhle should prove a sound mentor for the eager Moen. Lehkuhle ran his 2:12:54 PR in New York on the Central Park course used for the 2007 USA Men's Olympic Marathon Trials. Last year, he finished 8th at the NYC Marathon, on the storied five-borough course.
"This year's ING New York City Marathon is probably the deepest American field since the 2007 Olympic Marathon Trials and definitely the most competitive marathon field top to bottom that I have ever run in," Lehmkuhle said. "It's exciting to be part of. I think I can run in the 2:11 to 2:12 range in New York and I'm going to focus on that. The goal for me in a marathon this top-heavy is to run a smart race, finish well over the last four miles and, in the process, maybe run down a few guys who should beat me on paper."
"I've run four races this fall and they have all gone very well with new PR's at 20k and 10 miles," Lehmkuhle added. "These fast races are certainly a positive indicator, but, in my experience, good races at shorter distances are certainly no guarantee of marathon success. My training has been very good during this buildup. Generally, the marathon-specific workouts have been on par with my best ever."
Read USA Track & Field media release on the USA Championship field HERE.
Read biographies for members of the entire NYC professional field HERE (men) and HERE (women).
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