TCS NYCM Diaries: Keitany for 3, Ghebrselassie for First (First Eritrean victory too!)

Mary Keitany, RAK 15, photo by PhotoRun.net

Ghirmay Ghebrselassie, Olympics 2016, photo by PhotoRun.net

Keitany for 3rd time, Ghirmay for 1st time
NEW YORK (USA, Nov 6): Mary Keitany became the first athlete to win the New York Marathon three years in succession since Grete Waitz in 1986 with a dominant victory in 2:24:26 ahead of Sally Kipyego (2:28:01) and debutante Molly Huddle (2:28:13). Keitany’s winning margin of 3:34 was also the largest since Waitz won by 4:28 in 1984. Keitany broke up the pack with a 5:06split for the tenth mile before breaking clear from Joyce Chepkirui in the 15th mile. Keitany brought Margaret Okayo’s long-standing course record of 2:22:31 into view with back-to-back mile splits of 5:06 and 5:08 through 18-miles before slowing in the last 10km. Keitany’s splits were 72:38/71:49. Chepkirui and Aselefech Mergia both paid for going with Keitany’s break in the first half as they faded back to fourth (2:29:08) and sixth (2:33:28) respectively. Buzunesh Deba was hospitalised midweek with food poisoning and was a noteworthy dropout around the 25km checkpoint. In the men’s race, world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, 20, became the first runner to represent Eritrea to win a World Marathon Majors title. His time of 2:07:51 was just five seconds shy of his lifetime best and the fifth fastest time on this course. Kenya’s Lucas Rotich was second in 2:08:53 while 39-year-old Abdi Abdirahman came through late to claim third in 2:11:23 in his first marathon since April 2014. Reigning champion Stanley Biwott dropped out in the tenth mile with a calf injury, Dathan Ritzenhein dropped out in 19th mile with a heel injury while former two-time Boston Marathon winner Lelisa Desisa dropped out at the 35km checkpoint after losing two minutes on the leaders in the space of the preceding two miles.