Sheila Chepkirui powered Kenya to a sweep of the podium at the New York City marathon on Sunday, winning the women’s race in 2:24:35.
Chepkirui held off defending champion Helen Obiri in the later stages of the race with a surge along the final portion of the course in Central Park. Obiri was second in 2:24:49, while Vivian Cheruiyot finished third in 2:25:21.
The race was her debut in New York and Chepkirui needed a 2:24:35 negative split to close the race as she and Obiri battled for the win after Cheruiyot faded with just over 800m remaining.
“When we were around 600 meters to go, I said to myself I have to push harder,” Chepkirui said. “When I saw Hellen wasn’t coming, I knew I was going to win and was so happy.”
In the men’s field Abdi Nageeye needed nearly all of the length of the course to get past Evans Chebet and take the win in 2:07:39.
The men’s race was competitive from the start, with the lead and chase packs holding steady with last year’s champ Tamirat Tola in pursuit alongside Nageeye, Chebet, Albert Korir, Geoffrey Kamworor, Abel Kipchumba, Bashir Abdi, Rory Linkletter, CJ Albertson, Conner Mantz and Clayton Young.
As the race eased in to the final 10k, with the chase pack depleted and well out of contention, Tola, Nageeye, Chebet and Korir seemed primed to battle for the top three spots.
“I feel really happy with [the race] because I didn’t perform [well] in the Olympics and that really was one of my biggest disappointments ever,” Nageeye said. “So I went back to training, and I told myself, you will never get it back”
Nageeye made a decisive move as the action re-entered the park and kick the final few meters for the victory. Chebet was second in 2:07:45 and Korir was third in 2:08:00.
Today was two things: survive that race, and my race is after 36 kilometers,” Nageeye said. “I was thinking like a cyclist, survive 36K, and you’re going to win.”
For Tola, the prospect of repeating as champion and capping a dream season after his gold medal win in the marathon at the Paris Olympics faded as he finished a distance fourth in 2:08:12.
More than 50,000 participants hit the course in this Sunday’s race and the action kicked off with the wheelchair division.
Daniel Romanchuk won the men’s division in 1:36:31 over Marcel Hug, who won the last three contests. Susannah Scaroni won the women’s race in decisive fashion in 1:48:05 — well past Tatyana McFadden — as she opened up a gap that stretched to nearly 11 minutes as she crossed the finish line.
Top finishers of the 2024 New York City Marathon:
Men
1. Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands) – 2:07:39
2. Evans Chebet (Kenya) – 2:07:45
3. Albert Korir (Kenya) – 2:08:00
4. Tamirat Tola (Kenya) – 2:08:12
5. Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) – 2:08:50
6. Conner Mantz (USA) – 2:09:00
7. Clayton Young (USA) – 2:09:21
8. Abel Kipchumba (Kenya) – 2:10:39
9. Bashir Abdi (Belgium) – 2:10:39
10. CJ Albertson (USA) – 2:10:57
Women
1. Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) – 2:24:35
2. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) – 2:24:49
3. Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) – 2:25:21
4. Eunice Chumba (Bahrain) – 2:25:58
5. Fabienne Schlumpf (Switzerland) – 2:26:31
6. Sara Vaughn (USA) – 2:26:56
7. Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) – 2:27:14
8. Jessica McClain (USA) – 2:27:19
9. Sharon Lokedi (Kenya) – 2:27:45
10. Kellyn Taylor (USA) – 2:27:59
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