Strong Ethiopian team at NYC Marathon

New York, USA– Ethiopia will be represented by a strong squad of top stars when the 41st edition of the New York City marathon will take place here tomorrow.

World record holder Haile Gebrselassie and defending champion Derartu Tulu will lead the men and women’s teams respectively.

Haile, the star attraction, will be making his debut in the race so will Gebre-Egziabger Gebremariam, the 2009 World Cross Country Champion.

Derartu, 38, became the first black African woman to capture Olympic gold with her victory in the 10,000 meters at the Barcelona Games in 1992. She took the running world by surprise when she won last year’s NY Marathon in2:28.52, after being out of major competition and training for two years.

She will be joined by fellow compatriot and 2010 Boston Marathon winner Teyba Erkesso.