Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola set a new course record in the men’s New York Marathon on Sunday, while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri pulled away in the final 400 meters to take the women’s title.
Tola finished with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 58 seconds, beating Geoffrey Mutai’s 2:05.06 in 2011.
Tola distanced himself from his compatriot Jemal Yimer when the pair headed towards the Bronx at kilometer 32. When he headed towards Manhattan, a kilometer and a half later he was already 19 seconds ahead and was on Mutai’s mark.
Kenyan Albert Korir, who won the 2021 edition, was second almost two minutes behind Tola.
While the men’s race was decided in the last kilometers, the women’s competition remained fought until the end. Obiri, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey and defending champion Sharon Lokedi stood side by side. Obiri pulled ahead in the final kilometer heading into Central Park and finished with a time of 2:27.23. Gidey was second six seconds behind.
Lokedi was 10 seconds behind Obiri, who won the Boston Marathon in April.
This stellar group of women was expected to break the course record of 2:22.31, set by Margaret Okayo in 2003. Unlike last year when the race was held in an unusual heat wave, this time the weather held steady. around 10 degrees Celsius, ideal for breaking records and for the rest of the 50,000 competitors.
The winners of the men’s and women’s divisions finished minutes apart. An hour earlier, Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair competition. Catherine Debrunner took the women’s wheelchair competition at her launch in New York.
