New York off the pace

"We think it is best for our athletes, best for our viewing audiences and best for our sport... to move to 26.2 miles of suspense rather than what has been a more structured race with pacesetters carrying our athletes to the 25-K mark," race director Mary Wittenberg said.

The New York race has used pacesetters for the last 15 years or so, according to Wittenberg.

Three of the other five major marathons - Berlin, London and Chicago - used pacers last year. The Boston Marathon does not use pacesetters.

"Most of [the runners] know how to be strategic, most of them know how to pursue the thrill of victory and make that the number one priority," Wittenberg said.

"Giving our athletes the free rein to do that, no question puts a little more pressure on them, but they will live up to the challenge. In the end, it will be better for everyone to tune in and care from mile one rather than from mile 16."

The 2006 race, claimed by Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil and women's winner Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, was marked by ineffective pacing that led to some confusion among some of the featured runners.

"Last year's race sealed the fate on our consideration of dropping pacers. As often as pacing goes well, it can run amok," she said.

Wittenberg said elite runners "were spending the first half wondering what's going on with the pacer instead of what's going on with my competitors and how am I going to win this race."

Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa, the 2004 champion and 2005 runner-up, was announced as the first elite runner invited to the field for the 2007 race.

"Hendrick epitomizes racing," she said. "He always lays it all on the line. He works hard from the beginning. There is no resting, and he will be sure to keep things mighty interesting on November 4th."