NEW YORK – Kenya's Martin Lel, a two-time champion, was forced to drop out of Sunday's New York Marathon with a leg injury, race officials announced Wednesday.

Lel, the 2003 and 2007 New York Marathon winner, won last month's Great North Half Marathon in England but developed a leg injury during training over the past few days, said Lel's manager, Federico Rosa.

"The good result of the half marathon made us believe it could be over but in the last day this problem came out again and he was forced to make this painful decision," Rosa said.

Lel figured to be a strong contender for a third New York crown against defending champion and two-time winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil, two-time World Championship marathon winner Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, four-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya and American Meb Keflezighi.

The women's field also lost a top contender as Russian Tatyana Petrova withdrew due to illness.