TCS NYC MARATHON

November 3, 2024

Abdi Nageeye

Evans Chebet

Albert Korir

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Abdi, the first ever champion from the Netherlands here. You're the national record holder. You've been third; you've been fourth; you've been fifth. What did you do differently today to be first?

ABDI NAGEEYE: I feel really happy with that because I didn't perform in the Olympics, and that really -- I think it was one of my biggest disappointments ever. So I went back to training, and I told myself, you will never get it back. It is done. Paris is over. You can only do one thing: In less than two months you can do something great at the greatest marathon in the world, so focus on that.

Every day I was thinking about Paris but every day I was doing my training like 110 percent, and it went so smooth that I had a lot of confidence today, and I think everyone can see it from the start.

I was out for revenge for myself after that heavy disappointment in Paris. Yeah, I'm a little bit happy today. (Smiling).

Q. Evans, a rough 2023 for you but you've bounced back. Do you feel you're recovered from the injuries that sidelined you last year?

EVANS CHEBET: I feel good that my injury is healed, and I'm so grateful for the position that I got today. I'm motivated to move on.

Q. Albert, two second places and a first here, today a third. You took that third spot with about a mile to go from the gold medalist in the Olympics, Tamirat Tola. What is the key to your consistency here in New York City?

ALBERT KORIR: I think the main key is my training. I am training. The way I'm training is similar to the course of New York.

Also I think I have gained some experience in this race because this is my fifth time running. There is some confidence and experience.

Q. Abdi, can you tell me when in the Olympic marathon you dropped out and why, and also I think they mentioned a coaching change for you. You're either coaching yourself or working with a new coach. Can you tell me when you came to that decision and what it's been like?

ABDI NAGEEYE: I dropped out 36 kilometers at the Olympics. I looked behind and in my front there was nothing, so I was like you'd better drop the rest of the kilometers cooling down instead of just waiting there.

I just did that until I think 41 kilometers and then just walked the last 1K. I was training with my coach Gary until the Olympics in Tokyo. I left him. We had some disagreements and it was before Rotterdam -- after Rotterdam 2023.

Since then I am coaching myself. I have Louis Delahaije, a Dutch all-around coach. He do a lot of cycling, a lot of ultra training and marathons. He can do everything. He does some training with me, but I do like 95 percent by myself and he just overlook if I do something funny or crazy stuff, he can tell me okay. Just someone that look at me.

Every week we discuss what I'm doing, and he will ask me why I'm doing it, and if it makes sense he will say go ahead.

He gave me all the freedom to make my own mistakes. Even at the Olympics, I tried too many new things, and I knew two weeks before the Olympics, I did 20-kilometer tempo training, and I did the same thing as I did before Rotterdam when I was winning, but I told my friend who was helping me cycling, I think something is wrong. He was like, what do you mean. I was like, I feel there is something wrong. I don't feel comfortable with these trainings I did.

I was able to see that in the Olympics. I went back to my normal program that I used to do in Kaptagat with Patrick, and you could say I was 80 percent, and that's my best program that I can respond well in training.

So yeah, it went -- I was telling my management I need maybe one month more training, but I think this was enough for today.

Q. Having run New York City Marathon before, did you feel that gave you an edge this time, that you knew where you had to speed up, where to take it easy? And being the first one from the Netherlands to have won, how do you feel this is going to change your running career?

ABDI NAGEEYE: I think 100 percent I knew the course.

Chebet, last time he was winning at 25 kilometers, when my friend was winning also, I was dropped by the bridge at 25K. Last year I had a lot of problem with my stitch, but also just around that bridge, too, I was dropped, so my goal was not to have that happen again, and my race will start off the last drink station, at 36.

I knew the bridges we will come and go and downhills, so yeah, even -- I think it was Kamworor, we were telling him, I think as athletes we was pushing a lot in front and we were telling him, this is a marathon; we are not doing Fartlek. Take it easy; this is your first marathon. Don't kill us, don't kill yourself. A lot of people were just trying funny things.

But New York will decide -- the last 10 kilometers it's always decided, and that was my experience from the past that I did well.

Of course we have Seve Van Ass in Holland who's a great athlete, same management but I'm very happy that I win a major, also, and I think it will change a lot in Holland.

Q. Abdi, you know what a good athlete Evans is. He's won this race before. The two of you were together with one kilometer to go. How did you know it was time to make the final move to try to drop him?

ABDI NAGEEYE: Yeah, I have big respect for Chebet because when he was dropping me at that bridge I went with him and I was even cursing, I was like is this guy going to leave? He was just flying on the bridge. Then he was sprinting like crazy, but I knew let him go. He has an amazing speed, but I know nobody can hold this, not even for a mile. I was just half a second behind but I was like, I will come back.

We know each other, like Kamworor, Chebet. When you have a tough year and you are coming back, you need one race, and I'm sure next year he will do amazing even if he was today second.

I knew at the end I have a little bit more in my tank because if you are out for almost a year it's not easy to come back. So big respect that -- the field was so strong today. I think that telling that even you could see Kamworor (indiscernible) because when you're coming back you need one or two marathons to come back, and when I knew we were the two of us, even Tola, I knew he had the Olympics. If you win a medal at the Olympics, whatever happens, you will not train as hungry as normal, even if it's 95 percent. So I knew I had an edge on that. So I was contemplating about everyone at the beginning like nobody will beat me today, at the start.

Q. Evans, what was going through your mind when Abdi made his move at the end of the race?

EVANS CHEBET: First I was not feeling good when I saw him passing me because I've missed one race, and this I was expecting that I'm going to do it. When I saw him that he has passed me, I tried my best, and I'm happy for the second position that I got, for now.

Q. Abdi, you're 35 years old. I believe this is your 23rd marathon start. It's your first World Marathon Major victory. How does it feel to finally win a World Marathon Major and what's been the journey to this point for you?

ABDI NAGEEYE: Absolutely. I went into the marathon, I had no speed. I decided to go to the marathon I think 2013, and I was running in Eugene 10000m. After a couple of laps I knew I hate track, I don't want to do it. The same night I changed my ticket, and I went to Ethiopia. I was like, I'm going to Ethiopia, I'm going to the marathon with I think 28 low in the 10K, no speed on the track.

So I see that maybe the first 10 marathons like is just experience, but I never cared my body. I was always relying on my ability, so even if I'm running 23 marathons I'm still fresh. I did one of my best speed works here in Kenya without pushing too much. Yeah, those are the 23. I think the next couple of years I will do much better than now.

The first major, I knew it will come. I was telling myself the next three marathons I have to win one of them, and today I did it. I knew it will come.

When you train by yourself, the media will not know that I was really one of the favorites. I was like, they will know me tomorrow, on Sunday morning. So yeah.

Q. Albert, when did you realize you were going to catch Tamirat and find yourself on the podium yet again?

ALBERT KORIR: I think at the 5K my body was not responding well and I was seeing like a podium slipping away, but at some point I'm seeing Tamirat, and Tamirat was dropping from the passed group, so that was it. I came in and I was still okay.

I am lucky that I became third, and I'm happy.