Ethiopian Tamirat Tola and Kenyan Hellen Obiri won the New York Marathon

He Ethiopian Tamirat Tola and Kenyan Hellen Obiri sand proclaimed this Sunday the champions of New York Marathon.

Tola, 32 years old and winner of gold at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, dominated his test from start to finish with tremendous authority and broke the Big Apple marathon record with a time of 2h04:58 (the previous mark of Kenyan had it Geoffrey Mutai with 2h05:06 since 2011).

Tola lasted nearly two minutes out of the Kenyan Albert Korirwho finished in second position (2h06:57).

Obiri33 years old and winner of Boston in 2023, took victory after a thrilling finish after the three runners reached the final kilometer of the test evenly matched.

In a slow and very strategic race, Obiri achieved a time of 2h27:23 (the women’s record in New York was from Kenyan Margaret Okayo with 2h22:31 in 2003) after leaving the Ethiopian in the final meters Letesenbet Gidey (2h27:29).

So Obiri replaced his countryman Sharon Lokediwho became champion in 2022 and finished third this year close to the winner (2h27:33).

2023 has been a year of amazing marathon scores, including Ethiopian world records Tigst Assefa (2h11:53 in Berlin) and the Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum (2h00:35 in Chicago).

As expected, this Sunday’s scores in New York are far from impressive records as the New York route is tougher and more demanding than the other majors. (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago).

Imperial Tola

After the first and even 10 kilometers, Tola and Korir tightened the pace, began to eliminate competitors and that cut left a group of half a dozen runners in the lead.

With them, the Ethiopian Jemal Yimer He completed the trio that left the others behind after the halfway point of the race and had made it to Manhattan from Queens.

Tola did not slow down and, in a new rush, left Korir and was alone with his countryman Yimer.

Imperial from start to finish, Tola struck again at kilometer 30, Yimer was unable to follow behind him and Tola was on his own to close out an undisputed victory.

Obiri reigned supreme in an epic finale

Much of the attention this year at the New York Marathon will be on the women’s competition, which has more notable names than the men’s.

The American Kelly Taylor, Aggressive from the start, he took control of the race in the first kilometers, gaining some distance from the main group.

He was chased before reaching kilometer 10 and that group of a dozen runners, despite some isolated attacks like that of the American Molly Huddle, remained firm beyond the halfway point of the race.

At a slow pace, watching each other and almost as if in a sharp game of poker to see who would move first, none of the favorites dared to attack as far as the Kenyan. Viola Cheptoo He broke the race after kilometer 35 and only four other runners survived that cut.

Finally, three fought for victory in the last kilometer and, in an exciting result in Central Park, Obiri managed to separate himself from Gidey and Lokedi sing of victory.

In the wheelchair competition, Switzerland achieved double the wins of Marcel Hugwho made history by becoming the first person to win all six majors in one year, and Catherine Debrunner, who won for the first time in New York.

A party in New York

With more than 50,000 runners ready to cover 42,195 kilometers, New York gave athletes the perfect day to hit the streets this time of year.

So, the women’s competition, which started at 8:40 in the morning, started with a temperature of 9 degrees on a perfectly sunny day with no sign of rain or wind.

25 minutes later, when the men’s test started, the temperature was already 12 degrees.

From dawn, thousands of fans came to the streets where the race revolved to cheer on the competitors and many of them went around the Central Park to witness the arrival.

With flags and signs to encourage runners, fans also enjoyed live music along the route.

Another year, the New York marathon has left iconic images like many and many colors – due to the T-shirts of the runners – crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge as soon as the State Island trial begins.

The race passed through the city’s five boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Manhattan) amid heavy security deployment.