Abdi Nagyai of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the New York Marathon.

NEW YORK (AP) — Abdi Nagiai and Sheila Chepkirui used strong kicks in the final mile to pull away from their closest competitors and both won the New York City Marathon for the first time on Sunday.

Nagiay, who became the first Dutch runner to win the men’s race, was stride for stride with 2022 champion Evans Chebet before picking up the pace one last time to head into Central Park and take victory in 2 hours. , 7 minutes 39 seconds. Chebet finished 6 seconds behind.

“At the finish line I thought: am I dreaming? I won New York,” Nagiay said.

He has competed in the New York race three times before and his best result came in 2022 when he was third.

“I know the course,” Nagiai said. “Today was two things: surviving this race and my race after 36 (kilometers; 22 miles). I thought like a cyclist: survive 36 km and you will win.”

Chepkirui was running for the first time in New York and pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women’s race in the final stretch.

“Let me go the last mile, let me do my best,” the Kenyan said. “When we had about 600 meters left, I told myself that I needed to push harder. When I saw that Hellen wasn’t coming, I knew I was going to win and I was so happy.”

Chepkirui, who started running marathons in 2022, won in 2:24.35. Obiri finished almost 15 seconds back.

Obiri was hoping to become the first back-to-back champions since Kenya’s Mary Keitany won three in a row during the 2014-16 season. Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot finished third, giving the African country three top spots.

Tamirat Tola, the defending men’s champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist, finished fourth, just behind Albert Korir.

“I had a good year,” Tola told The Associated Press through a translator. “I won the Olympics and then coming back to New York after that, you know, it’s a tough road. I know I spent a lot of energy. At the 33 kilometer mark I felt my muscles tense up and they just couldn’t handle it.”

Tola, who set the course record last year, was hoping to become the first back-to-back men’s champion since Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won in 2011 and 2013. The 2012 race was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy.

The top Americans finished sixth in both races. Conner Mantz led the men and Sarah Vaughn led the women. Vaughn was in the lead group heading to mile 20 as they entered the Bronx before she left the lead pack.

Vaughn was poised to run for office in Chicago before COVID-19 prevented her from entering the race. She was late for this marathon.

The day started with three-time defending champion Marcel Hug failing in the men’s wheelchair race. was beaten by Daniel Romanchukwhich also won in 2018 and 2019. Susanna Scaroni won the women’s wheelchair race. It was her second win in New York, also winning the 2022 race and giving Americans winners in both events – the first time this has happened.

The 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course passed through all five boroughs of New York City, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. This is the 48th year the race has been held in all five boroughs. Previously, when the route began in 1970, it ran entirely through Central Park. Only 55 people finished the first race, while more than 50,000 people took part this year.

Hours after the top runners finished, it was announced that the Sydney Marathon would become the seventh major marathon in the world, joining Berlin, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, London and New York.

The weather was perfect for the race, with temperatures in the low 40s when the race started. Last year the temperature was 61 degrees when the race started.

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