From Omulo Okoth in New York, USA

The global distance running closes in on another of the World Marathon Majors. But Americans don’t seem to care or are they aware the best road racers are gathering into the Big Apple for today’s New York City Marathon.

The American body politic has focused on the World Series Games Two, that started on Thursday, a high profile baseball competition featuring New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, which has divided the State into North (for the former) and South (for the latter).

Yankees tied the series 1-1 as it was due to move to Philadelphia this weekend. So important is the series that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, and (Second Lady) Jill Biden graced front pages of all the major broadsheets donning Yankees colours, smiling from ear to ear in the good company of the club’s legend Yogi Berra.

The New York Marathon has kind of disappeared in the mix of the World Series, football, NBA and hockey. Not a mention in any of the major newspapers since Yours Truly jetted here, waxing enthusiastic about the potential of a high-powered top cream Kenyan athletes due to rule the roost today. What a shame!

Festivities preceding the big race were due to begin at 8:30am yesterday. The International Friendship Run, a four-kilometre free fun run for all international marathon entrants, from Kenya to the Netherlands, from Japan to Brazil, was to begin at 9:00am.

Many Press conferences took place on Friday featuring elite athletes.

Participants and spectators are also invited to the presentation of the 2009 Abebe Bikila Award prior to the race.

The award is given annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running. Past winners include Fred Lebow, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Tegla Loroupe and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

The run begins immediately following the ceremony.