DES MOINES, IOWA -- Former Drake distance running standout Jason Lehmkuhle is among the top contenders at the USA Men's Marathon Championship hosted by the ING New York City Marathon this Sunday.
Lehmkuhle is part of a deep American field contesting the national marathon along with some of the world's best international marathoners who will be in the mix for the open prize purse and overall title. Between the open division for men and women and the USA Championship division and other awards, the prize money purse totals $800,000 for the 40th running of the New York City Marathon.
Lehmkuhle's credentials include a fifth-place finish at the 2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials held in New York's Central Park in followed by an eighth place finish at the ING New York City Marathon in 2008. He has a best in the distance of 2:12:54.
This fall, Lehmkuhle placed third at the USA 20k Championships on Labor Day in a personal best time of 59:04, placed second at the Cow Harbor 10k in 29:18, and was fourth at the USA Men's 10 Mile Championship in a personal best of 47:16.
A graduate of Drake, Lehmkuhle owns the all-time Missouri Valley Conference record in the outdoor 10,000 meters of 28:44.91 set in 2000. He also won the individual cross country title at the 1999 MVC Championship.
"I've run three races this fall and they have all gone very well with new PR's at 20k and 10 miles," said Lehmkuhle. "These fast races are certainly a positive indicator, but, in my experience, good races at shorter distances are certainly no guarantee of marathon success. My training has been very good during this buildup. Generally, the marathon-specific workouts have been on par with my best ever.
"This year's ING New York City Marathon is probably the deepest American field since the 2007 Olympic Marathon Trials and definitely the most competitive marathon field top to bottom that I have ever run in. It's exciting to be part of. I think I can run in the 2:11 to 2:12 range in New York and I'm going to focus on that. The goal for me in a marathon this top-heavy is to run a smart race, finish well over the last four miles and, in the process, maybe run down a few guys who should beat me on paper."
NBC Sports will televise the 40th running of the ING New York City Marathon this Sunday at 1 p.m. in a two-hour tape delay coverage. The women's professional field starts at 8:10 a.m., the men's championship and open field begins at 8:40, followed by a wave of runners at 10:00 and at 9:20.
A record field of more than 40,000 runners from around the globe will take to the streets of New York. The 26.2-mile race will be seen by 2.5 million spectators lined along the route as runners pace through New York City's five boroughs - Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, and finish at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
