The Brooklyn Bridge and foggy conditions took center stage at the NYC Half in New York City on Sunday, but it was performances from Abel Kipchumba and Sharon Lokedi that more than added to the hype.
Kipchumba won his second straight title in 59:09 after surging ahead following an intense battle with Conner Mantz and Hillary Bor. The trio were locked in during the critical stages late in the race that covered over four miles along the FDR highway in thick fog.
But Kipchumba, 31, seized control and worked his way through the final 800m in Central Park uncontested.
Mantz took second in 59:15, while Bor was third in 59:55.
The fog — and wet roads — were a factor for the entire race, as Kipchumba bolted to an early advantage in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and set the tone for the lead pack.
Around the 4.5 mile point, the race shifted to the Brooklyn Bridge, a first for any New York Road Runners race since the roadway exiting the Manhattan Bridge was under construction. The shift in course layout meant that there was noticeably less incline on the Brooklyn Bridge approach.
By mile 9 the men’s race came down to what order Kipchumba, Mantz and Bor would cross the finish line. But Kipchumba took matters into his own hands and weaved from side-to-side on the road at the 10.5 mile point in a bid to shake loose from Mantz.
With Bor well out of the picture, Kipchumba took command in Times Square and broke free from Mantz just after mile 11 and cruised into Central Park on mile 12. He picked up the pace after a series of rolling hills with his 59:09 now a new event record. His 1:00:25 win last year came in his first trip to New York, with Kipchumba showing that he was more than capable of using a similar formula on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Lokedi seemed determined to not let the women’s race come down to a final sprint.
Through the first five miles and onto the Brooklyn Bridge, the lead pack held steady, as Lokedi was joined by Fiona O’Keefe, Emma Bates, Calli Hauger-Thackery, Diane van Es and Sarah Hall.
But as the group dwindled near the 10 mile mark, O’Keefe, Hauger-Thackery, van Es were jolted by a burst from Lokedi, who made a stunning move that decided the race well before it was time to enter the park.
Lokedi soared through the final mile in Central Park and broke the tape in 1:07:04, an event record.
O’Keefe was second in 1:07:46 and Hauger-Thackery took third in 1:07:49.
“I just wanted to run as hard as I could and I think it went well.” Lokedi said after the race. “I train the way I usually do and make sure I get hills, getting long tempos — a mixture of everything. You have to be prepared for anything.”
Despite her decisive move at the 10 mile mark, Lokedi admitted that she was only certain that she would win the race well into the late stages while in Central Park.
“You never know. Sometimes you think you have it but you don’t know,” she said. “I just wanted to keep running hard and working on my last kilometers and getting stronger.”
In the wheelchair division, Geert Schipper made sure his title defense was a successful one has he won the men’s field in 49:53, more than two and a half minutes ahead of Evan Correll who who came in second in 52:31 while Phillip Croft was third in 52:56.
Manuela Schär found her way back to top of the women’s race for the first time since 2022, as she took the win in 54:09 the fourth-fastest time in event history. Tatyana McFadden was second in 58:14 and Susannah Scaroni finished third in 58:44.
