Abdi Abdirahman, the national record holder at 20K, leads three other American men - Ryan Shay, Matt Downin, and Peter Gilmore - as the latest additions to the field for the ING New York City Marathon 2005.
The four athletes join previously announced Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist and ING New York City Marathon 2004 runner-up, to make up one of the strongest American fields in recent years. The runners will be put to a stern test against a stellar lineup featuring world record-holder Paul Tergat of Kenya, defending champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, and reigning two-time World Champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco.
The announcement was made just days before Shay and Downin were scheduled to represent the United States at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on Saturday, 1 October, in Edmonton, Canada.
NYRR
