{"id":25636,"date":"2025-11-02T04:50:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T04:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/25636\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T04:50:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T04:50:16","slug":"simbassa-ready-for-world-marathon-majors-debut-in-new-york-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/25636\/","title":{"rendered":"SIMBASSA READY FOR WORLD MARATHON MAJORS DEBUT IN NEW YORK"},"content":{"rendered":"

SIMBASSA READY FOR WORLD MARATHON MAJORS DEBUT IN NEW YORK
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NEW YORK (31-Oct) \u2014 Although he\u2019s the fastest American entered in Sunday\u2019s TCS New York City Marathon, Biya Simbassa is hardly a household name.\u00a0 A late bloomer, Simbassa didn\u2019t start running seriously until he was a freshman in 2012 at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, and after moving to the University of Oklahoma in 2014 he never broke 14 minutes for 5000m nor qualified for an NCAA Championships in track or cross country.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, the 32 year-old ran a personal best of 2:06:53 at the Valencia Marathon last December and is the fifth-fastest American of all time behind only Conner Mantz, Khalid Khannouchi, Galen Rupp and Ryan Hall.\u00a0 He\u2019s also the national road 10-K record-holder with a 27:32 personal best (set this year in May), and has won five national road running titles.\u00a0 He feels that he is still young as a runner, still growing.\u00a0 Sunday will be his fourth marathon.<\/p>\n

\"\"PHOTO: Biya Simbassa in advance of the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly), used with permission.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn college, I was like in high school, just starting,\u201d Simbassa told Race Results Weekly in an interview today.\u00a0 \u201cSo, now is like in college and my career is getting better.\u00a0 I\u2019m doing a lot of things I\u2019ve never done before, like mileage, longer workouts.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s like I\u2019m new to the sport.\u00a0 I\u2019m growing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Sunday\u2019s race \u2013where he\u2019ll face international stars like Eliud Kipchoge and Benson Kipruto of Kenya, Abdi Nageeye of The Netherlands (the defending champion), and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia\u2013 Simbassa won\u2019t be trying for a fast time.\u00a0 New York\u2019s hilly and often windy course makes fast running difficult, and the race will not have any pacemakers.\u00a0 Instead, Simbassa will be trying for the highest possible finish, a big step in his career as Sunday\u2019s race will be Simbassa\u2019s first ever Abbott World Marathon Majors event.\u00a0 He said he feels very comfortable racing here.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York, because I\u2019ve done a lot of New York road races,\u201d Simbassa explained.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve done (NYC) Half, I\u2019ve done (Abbott Dash) 5-K.\u00a0 I just wanted to do New York.\u00a0 I wanted New York to be my first Major.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I chose to do New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simbassa, who represents Asics, is particularly excited by the chance to race under championship conditions without pacemakers, which he thinks plays to his strengths.\u00a0 Under coach Ian Carter at his base in Flagstaff, Ariz., Simbassa upped his mileage to increase his strength.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do a really good job with championship race,\u201d Simbassa said.\u00a0 He continued: \u201cOne thing I did different (in training) is I increased my mileage.\u00a0 My mileage has been higher, and longer workouts and long runs.\u00a0 The last seven weeks I\u2019ve reached 125 (miles per week), I did one 130-mile week then dropped down to 125.\u00a0 So, I\u2019ve never done this high mileage.\u00a0 I\u2019m happy. My body is doing well; that\u2019s what I did different for this race.\u201d<\/p>\n

As far as race goals, Simbassa said that just wants to execute his race plan well, stay alert, stick to a reasonable pace, and react to any important moves.<\/p>\n

\"\"Biya Simbassa, photo by Jane Monti, for Race Results Weekly, used with permission.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is to stay in it, you know, as long as I can and stay patient,\u201d Simbassa said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, this course you never know what\u2019s going to happen.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to stay patient and stay with the group that I\u2019m supposed to be with, take my nutrition, and all that stuff.\u00a0 Like I say, I\u2019m excited for the championship racing.\u00a0 Valencia is just a pace; you\u2019re locked-in, you\u2019re trying to stay with them as long as you can.\u201d\u00a0 He continued: \u201cI think Sunday is going to be a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the last ten editions of the TCS New York City Marathon only one American man, Abdi Abdirahman, has reached the podium (third place, 2016).\u00a0 The top American finisher last year was Conner Mantz, who finished sixth.\u00a0 Mantz\u2019s time of 2:09:00 was the fastest-ever by an American in New York.\u00a0 Simbassa could challenge for the podium and definitely has the chops to break Mantz\u2019s time, but he said he won\u2019t be focused on the clock.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pace can change any time,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s all about how strong you are as you work your way up to the finish line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/p>\n

RACE RESULTS WEEKLY is sponsored by RunCzech, organizers of the Prague Marathon and a series of iconic running events, including the Prague Half Marathon, part of the SuperHalfs, and Italy\u2019s fastest half marathon, the Napoli City Half Marathon. Learn more at\u00a0runczech.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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Race Results Weekly is the news service of record for global road racing, published by David and Jane Monti, with support of Chris Lotsbom. RunBlogRun publishes their stories with permission.<\/p>\n


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