The TCS New York Marathon once again was a site to behold, and some of the world’s best marathoners did not disappoint in the race.
Hellen Obiri sprinted away from the competition to take home the win in the women’s race in a time of 2:27.23, while Tamirat Tola raced his way into NYC Marathon history, winning the race with his time of 2:04:58.
Obiri won against a loaded field in a very tactical and conservative paced race. Once she, along with Letesenbet Gidey as well as Sharon Lokedi and Viola Cheptoo entered into the final stages of the competitive race, it was Obiri who kicked into high gear, pulling away from Gidey and winning the race. Kellen Taylor was the top American, finishing in eight place with her time of 2:29.40, while Molly Huddle finished in ninth place with her time of 2:32.02.
“It’s my honour to be here for the second time,” she said after the race. “My debut here was terrible for me. Sometimes you learn from your mistakes, so I did a lot of mistakes last year and I said I want to try to do my best.”
The men’s race wasn’t as close, as Tola came out on a mission, and he left with a NYC Marathon course record. Jemal Yimer stuck with Tola for awhile, but eventually was left behind by Tola, as he marched his way to the finish line. Futsum Zienasellassie finished as the top American in the field, finishing in 10th place with his time of 2:12:09.
“I am happy to win the New York City Marathon for the first time,” Tola said after the race. “It’s the third time for me to participate, after two times finishing fourth. Now, I’m happy.”
