Benson Kipruto pips Alex Mutiso in men’s thriller, Hellen Obiri smashes women’s course record, Brits Patrick Dever and Jess Warner-Judd enjoy fine debuts, but Eliud Kipchoge fades to 17th.
Benson Kipruto out-leaned Alex Mutiso to take a narrow victory in the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday (Nov 2) in 2:08:09, while Hellen Obiri demolished the long-standing women’s course record with 2:19:51.
British runners Patrick Dever and Jess Warner-Judd thrived on their marathon debuts, meanwhile, with Dever finishing fourth in the men’s race in 2:08:58 while Warner-Judd was seventh in 2:24:45.
No pacemakers? No problem. New York is renowned for allowing runners to fight it out old-school without any hares to set the tempo. Once again the strategy paid off, too, with a day of fine racing and respectable times on an undulating course not known for producing fast performances.
Not everyone had a good day, though. Eliud Kipchoge, the two-time Olympic champion and multiple big city marathon winner, faded to 17th in 2:14:36. Competing three days before his 41st birthday, the legendary Kenya runner looked a shadow of the man who broke the two-hour barrier in his Viennese time trial in 2019.
At least he finished, though. Long-time rival Kenenisa Bekele, 43, dropped out somewhere after the 17-mile mark, the Ethiopian’s long and distinguished career surely now over.
Sifan Hassan was also not at her best as she finished sixth in the women’s race in 2:24:43, almost five minutes behind Obiri. Like Kipchoge, she had run – and won – the Sydney Marathon just two months earlier. So perhaps, with hindsight, racing so soon afterwards in New York was not the best idea.
Obiri smashed Margaret Okayo’s course record of 2:22:31 which was set back in 2003, long before super shoes and stomach-friendly gels and drinks were invented. The 35-year-old Kenyan took her second victory in New York on Sunday after seeing off the challenge of former Sharon Lokedi and defending champion Sheila Chepkirui.
After the leaders passed halfway in 71:01, Lokedi pushed the pace in the latter stages but Obiri first drew level and then surged with around a kilometre to go to break clear, eventually winning by 16 seconds with Chepkirui a further 17 seconds behind in third.
For several kilometres fans were treated to the sight of the three most recent winners of the women’s title in New York going toe to toe, but Obiri had too much strength for her rivals. Three years earlier Obiri finished a disappointed sixth on her marathon debut in New York before winning in the Big Apple in 2023, albeit in a modest time of 2:27:23.
In fourth place behind the three Kenyans, Fiona O’Keeffe was the top American woman in 2:22:49. Annie Frisbie of the United States followed in fifth, then Hassan.
Warner-Judd, in seventh, went to No.9 on the UK all-time rankings with 2:24:45. It was just 20 seconds slower than Eilish McColgan ran on the much faster London course in April and comes after some upsetting epileptic episodes on the track that temporarily stalled her career.
It is also 12 years since Warner-Judd won the 800m at both the European Team Championships in Gateshead and televised grand prix meeting in Birmingham, but after successfully moving up to 5000m, 10,000m and then half-marathon, she has now posted a fine debut run over 26.2 miles.
One place behind Warner-Judd was Emily Sisson, the US record-holder, with 2:25:05.
Dever, a fellow Brit, will also be delighted with his debut at the marathon. The NCAA 10,000m champion in 2021 has a best of 27:08.81 at that distance and has won the British 5000m title in the past, but his run in New York shows great promise for future marathons on quicker courses.
In some ways it is no surprise, as the Preston Harrier has historically been very level with Emile Cairess. The latter went on to place fourth in the Olympic marathon last year, so it is logical that Dever might enjoy similar success, although not everyone takes to the marathon.
Up ahead, Kipruto added to previous big city marathon victories in Boston, Chicago and Tokyo. After easing away from fellow Kenya Mutiso in the final kilometre, though, he nearly blew it as Mutiso, the 2024 London Marathon winner, mounted a comeback and almost caught Kipruto on the line.
Both men spread their arms to celebrate victory, but Kipruto was given the verdict in a marathon finish that was almost as close as the battle between Alphonce Felix Simbu and Amanal Petros at the World Championships in Tokyo a few weeks ago.
Alberto Korir, also of Kenya, was third, just one second in front of Dever.
Joel Reichow was the leading American in sixth with 2:09:56, just three seconds ahead of Charles Hicks, the former British athlete who won European under-23 cross-country and 5000m titles before switching allegiance to the United States ahead of his marathon debut in New York.
Matt Leach, also of Britain, was 19th in 2:15:48.
Wheelchair race victories went to Susannah Scaroni of the United States in 1:42:10 and Marcel Hug of Switzerland in 90:16 with the latter winning in New York for the seventh time as he beat Britain’s David Weir into second place.
Full results here.
