Yomi Omogbeja (01/11/2005)

The 2003 New York City Marathon champion and reigning London Marathon champion Martin Lel will remain in the field for the ING New York City Marathon on November 6 despite a recent injury to his lower right leg.

Lel's manager, Federico Rosa stated in an e-mail sent to New York Road Runners officials over the weekend that "he started to feel the pain about three weeks [ago]".

"In the last 10 days the pain became stronger and stronger, but today he went for training and the situation looks better," Rosa said.

The 27-year-old Kenyan is one of three reigning champions of the Big Five marathons in the men's field along with New York City defending champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa and Boston winner Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia.

According to race officials, the men's field is the strongest ever in the race history.

In the line-up: World record holder Paul Tergat (Kenya), New York course record-holder and 2001 champion Tesfaye Jifar (Ethiopia), Olympic silver-medallist Meb Keflezighi (USA), Jon Brown (Great Britain) and Mark Carroll (Ireland).

Lel smashed his personal best to win the Flora London marathon in 2:07.26 in April and had been in top form with a fourth place finish at the Lisbon Half-Marathon (59:42) in September before the injury.