Kenyans Korir, Jepchirchir win New York Marathon
New York, Nov 7 (EFE).- Kenya’s Albert Korir won the men’s New York Marathon for the first time on Sunday with a time of 2 hours 8 minutes and 22 seconds.
His compatriot Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion, secured the women’s title yet again in the iconic race with a time of 2 hours 22 minutes and 39 seconds.
The pair once again shone for their homeland in this year’s much-anticipated New York Marathon, which had to be cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic and in which this year a much-reduced group of runners – albeit still tens of thousands strong – participated.
Jepchirchir, 28, who had won the race in 2019, made a spectacular sprint in the final leg and moved out ahead of a front-line pack including fellow Kenyan Viola Chiptoo (who finished the race with a time of 2:22:44) and Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh (2:22:52).
In the men’s competition, Korir won his first marathon in the Big Apple, crossing the finish line four-and-a-half minutes ahead of Ethiopian veteran runner Kenenisa Bekele, who came in sixth.
The 27-year-old Korir, who in 2019 had taken second place in the New York race, was followed by Morocco’s Mohammed El Aaraby (2:09:06) and Italy’s Eyob Faniel (2:09:52).
In the wheelchair category, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug crossed the finish line far ahead of his closest rival, notching his fourth win in the New York race with a time of 1:31:24, while in the women’s wheelchair category Australia’s Madison de Rozario won with a time of 1:51:01.
The 50th edition of the New York Marathon was held with “only” 33,000 runners participating this year, with the race course winding through the city’s five boroughs without any incidents but with numerous New Yorkers cheering on the contestants as they ran.
EFE nqs/ism/bp
