Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands emerged victorious in the men’s race at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, while Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya claimed the women’s event. Both runners managed to distance themselves from their closest rivals in the final stretch, securing their maiden wins in the race. Nageeye was neck-and-neck with 2022 champion Evans Chebet until he unleashed a decisive sprint into Central Park, finishing in two hours, seven minutes, and 39 seconds. Chebet trailed by just six seconds. Tamirat Tola, the defending champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist, finished fourth, closely followed by Albert Korir.

Chepkirui, making her debut in the New York Marathon, outpaced defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women’s race. Chepkirui, who began running marathons in 2022, completed the course in 2:24:35. Obiri finished nearly 15 seconds later, falling short of becoming the first repeat champion since Mary Keitany of Kenya won three consecutive titles from 2014-16. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya secured third place, ensuring that the top three spots were all claimed by Kenyan athletes.

The top American finishers placed sixth in both the men’s and women’s races. Conner Mantz led the men, while Sara Vaughn headed the women’s contingent. Vaughn was part of the leading group until they reached the Bronx at Mile 20, after which she dropped off the pace. Vaughn had initially planned to run in Chicago but was sidelined by Covid-19, making her a last-minute addition to this marathon.

The day began with a surprise in the men’s wheelchair race, as three-time defending champion Marcel Hug was defeated by Daniel Romanchuk, who had previously won in 2018 and 2019. Susannah Scaroni triumphed in the women’s wheelchair race, marking her second victory in New York, having also won in 2022. This result meant that American athletes secured wins in both wheelchair events for the first time.

The 26.2-mile course traversed all five boroughs of New York, commencing in Staten Island and culminating in Central Park. This marked the 48th year that the race has covered all five boroughs. Prior to this, the route was confined to Central Park when the event began in 1970. The inaugural race saw just 55 finishers, in stark contrast to the over 50,000 participants expected this year.

The weather conditions were ideal for running, with cool and bright skies.

Source link:   https://www.theguardian.com