World marathon record holder Mary Keitany will be inducted into the hall of Fame on November 4.

Keitany with Staten Island’s greatest distance runner Art Hall will be inducted ahead of TCS New York City Marathon to be held on November 6.

She has won four New York City Marathons, including three consecutively from 2014 to 2016. Her 3:34 margin of victory in 2016 was the greatest in the women’s race since 1980.

She became the first open-division runner since Grete Waitz to win the event three years in a row.

She was also a two time runner-up at the marathon and a three-time winner of the New York Mini 10K.

Keitany remains the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01, which was one of her three London Marathon victories. In Kenya, she helped to raise funds to build a school and church in her village.

In 2019, she was invited to the Vatican to meet the Pope, who blessed her for all the accomplishments.

“The TCS New York City Marathon was always a highlight on my racing calendar, and I am honoured to be chosen for the NYRR Hall of Fame,” Keitany said.

Legendary figures

“I would not be where I am today without the support of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and all those New Yorkers who lined the streets to cheer me on for so many years,” Keitany noted.

The NYRR Hall of Fame, established in 2011, has honoured legendary figures in the sport of road running who have made NYRR and the TCS New York City Marathon what they are today.

“It is an honour to induct the late Art Hall and the heroic Mary Keitany into the NYRR Hall of Fame in recognition of the tremendous impact they have had on our sport,” said Kerin Hempel, Chief Executive Officer of New York Road Runners.

“Art was an accomplished runner and a trailblazing leader in our local running scene who was a catalyst for more inclusivity in distance running.

“Keitany, with four TCS New York City Marathon titles to her name, is one of the most highly decorated female distance runners in history who has continued to serve as a role model for women and mothers everywhere,” Hempel added.

Meanwhile, organisers of this year’s TCS New York City Marathon have rolled out non-binary prize money for all NYRR races in 2022.

At this year’s marathon, non-binary runners finishing first to fifth will receive cash prizes. The winner will receive Sh500,000 with the prize amount decreasing by Sh 120,000 for each placement where the fifth-placed finisher will win Ksh 100,000.

“We are so proud that the TCS New York City Marathon attracts such a diverse and global community of runners, and we are deeply focused on ensuring all of our athletes feel welcome and included at NYRR,” said Hempel.