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TCS NYC MARATHON

November 3, 2019

New York, New York

THE MODERATOR: Our top three men today. Placing third, with a time of 2:08:38, a massive personal best, from Ethiopia but he calls New York home, Girma Bekele Gebre.

Second place, running his third marathon this year, two firsts and a second from Kenya with a time of 2:08:36, Albert Korir.

And our winner for the second time in three years with a time of 2:08:13, from Kenya, Geoffrey Kamworor.

Geoffrey, I want to start with you. At the end of the race, you got a big hug from your training partner Eliud Kipchoge. What did he say to you?

GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: To me when I was running, I knew that Eliud Kipchoge was at the finish line. He's my training partner. He's also my mentor. So throughout the race, I was very confident, and I was determined for a good result because I didn't want to disappoint him, and that gave me a lot of motivation. He inspired me a lot during the race.

THE MODERATOR: You did not take the race out fast. Was that part of the plan, to go fast at the end and start slower?

GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: From the start of the race, to me, I was feeling okay. I was comfortable. I prepared very well to run this marathon. So throughout the race, I was okay. Throughout the last few meters, the pace was somewhat high, and it wasn't a problem to me. That's when I decided to pull away.

THE MODERATOR: Albert, three marathons this year, two wins, and a second place. How did you recover for this marathon to run so well here today?

ALBERT KORIR: My preparation to come to New York was kind of hard because I run three marathons, but I tried to go on. The race for today was good, but it's also my first race without pacemakers. So it was kind of somewhat hard. So I tried to push it, and I became second place.

THE MODERATOR: Girma, a seven minute personal best. You're from Ethiopia, but this is home. How did it feel to win in front of the hometown crowd, to place third in front of the hometown crowd?

GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: No, I don't actually live here. I have come here before and competed here. I am very happy to have improved my personal best.

THE MODERATOR: Girma running many New York Road Runner races, finishing second in the Healthy Kidney 10K in May. Questions for our top three finishers today?

Q. Can I ask of Girma, please, where do you live? Do you train with the same group as Desisa, with Coach Adilo? Where do you train in Ethiopia?
GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: No, I don't train with Lelisa. I train on a different team. My coach is named Coach Magarsa (phonetic), and I train in Addis Ababa.

Q. What was your personal best before today? Did you expect to put up a 2:08?
GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: My personal best was 2:13, and I ran that in Pittsburgh. At that point, I had been living here, but this time, because I prepared at home at altitude, I was very well prepared, and I expected to run a better time. I'm very happy to have improved my personal best.

Q. Geoffrey, congratulations. You finished the race today like a track race. Are we going to see you back on the track next season?
GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Yeah, I can run again on track, no problem, but today's race was a great one for me because I prepared well, and I had no problem throughout the race. So it was good for me. I'm not sure because it's a separation from today's victory. So other things to come, and we shall see.

Q. Question for Geoffrey. Do you feel that you're a better marathoner than you were two years ago when you won here? And if so, what part of marathoning are you better at?
GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Winning this race in 2017 really inspired me, being it was my first victory in New York Marathon. So it really inspired me. I came last year when I was so inspired, but I settled for third position. I work hard, train hard, and coming to win again, and I'm happy to have won today.

THE MODERATOR: Question for you, Albert. Second place today. It must have far exceeded your expectations when you look at this field. How do you feel about being on the podium today? How excited are you to have this kind of performance in this field?

ALBERT KORIR: I feel good. I'm happy to be on the podium at a World Marathon Major. Tomorrow I have to maintain my focus on all my training. So today's marathon, I can say it's good, yes.

Q. Geoffrey, there were a lot of fans out on the streets of New York City. Does one particular scene stand out in your mind as you ran along the streets of New York City? Anything particularly inspiring or memorable that you passed as you ran through New York City?
GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Actually, New York City Marathon is a really special one. It's really amazing because of the large crowds along the course. From the start to the finish, there are a lot of crowds cheering, and it's a lot of morale along the race.

Q. Girma, I just wanted to know what is going to be next for you in your running career, and are you heading back to Ethiopia after this?
GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: No, I'm going right back to Ethiopia quickly. I don't know what my next race will be. I don't have a sponsor. I don't have an agent. I just compete individually, so I don't know what I'll be running next.

THE MODERATOR: No sponsor, no agent, and third today in the largest marathon in the world. That's pretty impressive.

Q. Girma, are you hoping to add an agent and add a sponsor after the performance today? Is that something that you think might follow from this?
GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: Yes, I would like to get one. I'd like someone to arrange races for me.

Q. Geoffrey, the World Half Marathon is next year. Do you plan on doing that? And for the Olympics, do you have a preference for the 10,000 or the marathon?
GEOFFREY KAMWOROR: Currently, I can't talk much about the Olympics because it's about today's marathon, and I'm celebrating this. About the Olympics, it's something to plan and something about to come. So it's about something to plan here.

Q. Girma, having been in New York, what was it like at that moment when you were leading the pack going down the streets of New York? What were the feelings you were experiencing?
GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: I love running in New York, and when the crowds were cheering for me, I felt really special joy.

Q. Girma, how long did you live in New York, and where did you live?
GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: This time around, I just came here on the 29th, and I've been staying with a friend of mine. But in the past, I think I was here about two months.

Q. (No microphone)?
THE MODERATOR: The question is did you start with the elite men or the seeded start? If so, if you started in the seeded start, what was that like before you merged with the elite field?

GIRMA BEKELE GEBRE: No, I started back in the second group, and I ran really fast to catch up, but I actually passed them, and I had to slow back down again.

THE MODERATOR: Our top three men today, Girma Bekele Gebre, Albert Korir, and Geoffrey Kamworor, our top three for the TCS New York City Marathon.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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