A Kenyan double as Kipsang secures World Marathon Majors title in a cold and windy New York City

Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany made it a Kenyan double at the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday as the pair battled on through the cold and windy conditions to claim victory in 2:10:59 and 2:25:07 respectively.

The topic of the editor’s comment in the latest edition of Athletics Weekly magazine had focused on great marathon races and how organisers in the Big Apple have banned pacemakers, meaning strategy as well as stamina is required in order to win this event.

Kipsang judged his race well, running with Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa until the Kenyan pulled away in the closing stages to finish seven seconds clear. World marathon silver medallist Desisa had seemed to nudge Kipsang 300m out as the former world record-holder worked his way past. But it didn’t seem to put him off his stride and he sprinted clear to add victory in New York to his wins in London (pictured) and Berlin, bagging the World Marathon Majors title and $500,000 prize in the process.

Former world cross-country champion Gebre Gebremariam, the 2010 winner, followed his countryman Desisa over the line and clocked 2:12:13, while Boston champion Meb Keflezighi clocked 2:13:17 for fourth. Geoffrey Mutai, who had been going for his third consecutive New York City Marathon win, finished sixth, one place behind Stephen Kiprotich.

Britons Craig Hopkins and James Kelly placed 21st and 28th with 2:23:49 and 2:25:56 respectively.

A late surge also sealed the win for Keitany as the second fastest woman in history with her 2:18:37 from the 2012 London Marathon continued the winning form she has demonstrated since returning to road race action after having had a baby last year.

Having had her fellow Kenyan Jemina Sumgong for company, Keitany created a gap in the final few hundred metres to which Sumgong couldn’t respond. Keitany, who won the Bupa Great North Run in a course record time recently, crossed the line three seconds ahead of Sumgong to add victory in New York to her two third-place finishes at the event, while Portugal’s Sara Moreira ran 2:26:00 on her marathon debut to complete the top three.

British runners in action included Amy Clements who ran a 2:52:32 PB for 24th.

Kurt Fearnley won in a sprint finish to claim the men’s wheelchair title for the fifth time as Brit Simon Lawson finished 11th, while victory in the women’s event went to Tatyana McFadden who adds this win to those in Boston, London and Chicago this year – a feat she also achieved in 2013. Britain’s Shelly Woods placed eighth.

All results were unofficial at the time this report was published. See next week’s Athletics Weekly magazine for further coverage, images and results

The post Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany win NYC Marathon appeared first on Athletics Weekly.