NEW YORK
Kenyan runners Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany claimed victory in the men and women’s races of the 44th New York City Marathon on Sunday.
Nearly 50,000 runners started the 26.2 mile footrace in tough conditions; strong winds were reportedly gusting up to over 60 kph in the early hours of the day.
Former world-record holder Kipsang won the race in men's category by finishing in 2:10:55. This was his debut appearance in the hilly New York course.
Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia followed, 11 seconds back, while his fellow countryman and 2010 champion Gebre Gebremariam clinched third place.
The spotlight was on Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, who was looking to win his third New York City Marathon in a row, but was forced to settle for the sixth place.
The women's race witnessed a breathtaking finale, with Keitany finishing in 2:25:07, only three seconds ahead of another Kenyan athlete, Jemima Sumgong.
Sumgong was leading with just a mile left but a last-minute gallop by Keitany saw her pass the Kenyan with only 700 meters remaining. Sara Moreira of Portugal came third.
The New York City Marathon is held every November through the city's five boroughs: Staten Island; Brooklyn; Queens; the Bronx; and Manhattan. It is one of the world’s six major marathons, the others being Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London and Tokyo.
The first-place prize for this year's race was $100,000.
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