Former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan will make their New York Marathon debuts in November, organizers New York Road Runners announced.

The pair competed in the Sydney Marathon last month. The 25-year-old race has been elevated to the World Marathon Majors. The Dutchwoman finished in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 22 seconds. Hassan, the third-fastest woman at the distance of all time, finished third in London in 2:19:00 earlier this year.

Rio and Tokyo Olympic champion Kipchoge, 40, has not won a marathon since his 11th Major triumph in Berlin two years ago.

He became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in 2019, a feat compared to the moon landing, although it was not officially recognized as a world record because it does not adhere to the World Athletics rules for open events.

The New York Marathon is the only major circuit race that Kipchoge has not yet competed in.

The duo of Kipchoge and Hassan join the reigning men's and women's champions, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya, respectively, as well as last year's winners Albert Korir and Evans Chebet, also of Kenya. | BGNES