This season was easily the best of Curtis' career, setting a personal best in the 10,000m early in the season, and then making an extremely impressive debut at the half-marathon in September in Philadelphia, both times placing him among the top ten Americans ever at each distance. Given his track times this season, a sub 2:10 marathon would not be out of the question for him, but I'd say a time between 2:11-2:12 would be more likely, as New York is a very difficult (slow) course for a marathon.
Joining him on the women's side will be three time Olympian, and fellow Villanovan Jen Rhines, the only woman in American history to make Olympic teams in the 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon. Rhines hasn't run a marathon in five years, but the conventional wisdom is that her form translates better in the marathon than any other event. This January, she won the USA Half Marathon Championships, and she was on the World Championship team in Daegu, South Korea in the 10,000m, ultimately finishing in ninth place, and the second American behind 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan.
Curtis on making his marathon debut:
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