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SIMBASSA READY FOR WORLD MARATHON MAJORS DEBUT IN NEW YORKBy David Monti, @d9monti(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
NEW YORK (31-Oct) — Although he’s the fastest American entered in Sunday’s TCS New York City Marathon, Biya Simbassa is hardly a household name. A late bloomer, Simbassa didn’t 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.
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. He’s 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. He feels that he is still young as a runner, still growing. Sunday will be his fourth marathon.
“In college, I was like in high school, just starting,” Simbassa told Race Results Weekly in an interview today. “So, now is like in college and my career is getting better. I’m doing a lot of things I’ve never done before, like mileage, longer workouts. So, it’s like I’m new to the sport. I’m growing.”
In Sunday’s race –where he’ll face international stars like Eliud Kipchoge and Benson Kipruto of Kenya, Abdi Nageeye of The Netherlands (the defending champion), and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia– Simbassa won’t be trying for a fast time. New York’s hilly and often windy course makes fast running difficult, and the race will not have any pacemakers. Instead, Simbassa will be trying for the highest possible finish, a big step in his career as Sunday’s race will be Simbassa’s first ever Abbott World Marathon Majors event. He said he feels very comfortable racing here.
“New York, because I’ve done a lot of New York road races,” Simbassa explained. “I’ve done (NYC) Half, I’ve done (Abbott Dash) 5-K. I just wanted to do New York. I wanted New York to be my first Major. That’s why I chose to do New York.”
Simbassa, who represents Asics, is particularly excited by the chance to race under championship conditions without pacemakers, which he thinks plays to his strengths. Under coach Ian Carter at his base in Flagstaff, Ariz., Simbassa upped his mileage to increase his strength.
“I can do a really good job with championship race,” Simbassa said. He continued: “One thing I did different (in training) is I increased my mileage. My mileage has been higher, and longer workouts and long runs. The last seven weeks I’ve reached 125 (miles per week), I did one 130-mile week then dropped down to 125. So, I’ve never done this high mileage. I’m happy. My body is doing well; that’s what I did different for this race.”
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.
“My goal is to stay in it, you know, as long as I can and stay patient,” Simbassa said. “You know, this course you never know what’s going to happen. I’m going to stay patient and stay with the group that I’m supposed to be with, take my nutrition, and all that stuff. Like I say, I’m excited for the championship racing. Valencia is just a pace; you’re locked-in, you’re trying to stay with them as long as you can.” He continued: “I think Sunday is going to be a good one.”
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). The top American finisher last year was Conner Mantz, who finished sixth. Mantz’s time of 2:09:00 was the fastest-ever by an American in New York. Simbassa could challenge for the podium and definitely has the chops to break Mantz’s time, but he said he won’t be focused on the clock.
“The pace can change any time,” he said. “It’s all about how strong you are as you work your way up to the finish line.”
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