Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Kara Goucher to run 2013 New York City Marathon

Three of the most accomplished American long-distance runners — Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher — will run the 2013 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 3, New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg has announced. The international field, including any elite Canadian runners, will be announced later.

Keflezighi, 38, of San Diego, California, was the 2004 Athens Olympic Marathon silver medalist and finished fourth in the 2012 London Olympic Marathon. In 2009, he became the first American since Alberto Salazar in 1982 to win the ING New York City Marathon. Keflezighi has finished in the top 10 in the ING New York City Marathon six times, most recently with a sixth-place finish in 2011.

“Running the ING New York City Marathon is always a great pleasure and honor for me,” Keflezighi said. “This year’s race will be extra-special because of the cancellation last year. As always, I will train and ‘run to win.”

Hall, 30, of Redding, California, will be running the ING New York City Marathon for the second time after finishing fourth in 2009 in 2:10:36. He finished 10th in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon, but was forced to drop out of the 2012 London race with a hamstring injury. At the 2011 Boston Marathon, Hall took fourth place in a time of 2:04:58—the fastest all-conditions performance ever run by an American. He holds the American half-marathon record at 59:43.

“I have one goal in mind for this year’s ING New York City Marathon: redemption — restore what has been lost,” Hall said in a press release by the NYRR. ” I have had my fair share of struggles since qualifying for the 2012 London Olympic Marathon; however, those struggles are now behind me and the lessons learned are paving the path to what I hope is a very redemptive ING New York City Marathon. I am expecting this year’s race to be the most inspirational race in recent memory.”

Goucher, 35, of Portland, OR, ran the fastest-ever-marathon-debut by an American woman when she finished third at the 2008 ING New York City Marathon in a time of 2:25:33, also the fastest time ever by an American woman in New York. It was the first time in 14 years that an American woman had placed in the top three at the race. At the Boston Marathon, Goucher has finished third in 2009, fifth in 2011 (in a personal-best 2:24:52), and sixth this year. She finished 11th in the 2012 London Olympic Marathon in a time of 2:26:07. She was the 2007 World Championships bronze medalist at 10,000 meters.

“I am so excited to be returning to the ING New York City Marathon,” Goucher said. “So much in my life has changed during the five years since I last ran this race, but my love for NYC remains the same; it feels like a full-circle moment to return to NYC, where my marathon career began and to return with my son … I look forward to testing myself in the most prestigious marathon in the world.”

The trio will lead a group of highly competitive U.S. athletes who are the first official entrants into this year’s elite field. Keflezighi, Hall, and Goucher are among the total of six Olympic athletes confirmed thus far, along with 2012 U.S. Olympians Julie Culley (5000m), Amy Hastings (10,000m), and Janet Bawcom (10,000m).

Additional top American men announced for the race include two-time fourth-place Boston Marathon finisher Jason Hartmann, last year’s eighth-ranked U.S. marathoner Ryan Vail, and 2013 world championships team member Jeffrey Eggleston.

Other top American women include 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000-meter fifth-place finisher Alisha Williams, 2013 U.S. half-marathon champion Adriana Nelson, and Mattie Suver, the top American finisher at the 2013 Oakley New York Mini 10K.