American Deena Kastor will headline the field for the first spring running of the NYC Half-Marathon.
The New York Road Runners announced Wednesday that Kastor will be joined by Mara Yamauchi, Kiyoko Shimahara and Madai Perez for the fifth annual race on March 21.
Kastor and Yamauchi will be using the 13.1-mile race as a final tune-up for the London Marathon in April. Kastor, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., was the 2006 London Marathon champion.
Kastor is coming off a win last month at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon in Phoenix in 1 hour, 9 minutes and 43 seconds. The U.S. marathon record-holder and three-time Olympian was seventh at the NYC Half-Marathon held in August last year.
Defending champion Paula Radcliffe plans to skip the event.
