Mary Keitany takes the lead, photo by Photorun.net
The NYC Marathon, started out as a staid event. Then, in the women’s race, Desi Linden decided to shake it up, and went back into the pack. It was a huge pack that hit the halfway in NYC. Then, Mary Keitany took off. Her second half of the race was run in 66:58. But for a dozen women around the world, that second half would have been one of the fastest half marathons for women EVER.
Mary Keitany ran with abandon. Her pace was relentless, and she barely missed running the Course record, with a furious last half marathon. In that second half, Mary showed that she is the only woman who can challenge the currrent world record for women in the marathon. No one has ever run a second half of a marathon like Mary Keitany.
That, kind reader is why Mary Keitany is the 2018 NYRR Pro Performer of the Year.
Mary Keitany Voted 2018 New York Road Runners Pro Performer of the Year
Four-time TCS New York City Marathon champion garners public vote after recording second-fastest time in event history
New York, December 17, 2018 — Kenya’s Mary Keitany was voted the 2018 New York Road Runners Pro Performer of the Year by the public after recording the second-fastest time in New York City Marathon history en route to her fourth title, and winning her third NYRR New York Mini 10K. The NYRR Pro Performer of the Year award recognizes the top athlete for his or her outstanding achievements at NYRR races over the entire year.
“It’s a great honor to win the NYRR Pro Performer of the Year award,” Keitany said. “This one means a lot because it is the fans who choose. I was pleased to win the TCS New York City Marathon and the NYRR New York Mini 10K in 2018, and I look forward to continuing my success in NYC in the future.”
Keitany, 36, won her fourth TCS New York City Marathon title in November, easily outpacing the field to finish in 2:22:49, just 17 seconds off the course record. Her second-half split was faster than the U.S. half marathon record of 1:07:25, and she now has the second-most New York City Marathon victories in history in the women’s open division after Grete Waitz.
Earlier in the year, Keitany won her third NYRR New York Mini 10K in a time of 30:59, the fifth-fastest time in the event’s 47-year history.
“By winning her fourth TCS New York City Marathon and third NYRR New York Mini 10K this year, Mary Keitany put on a show for runners and viewers around the world with her amazing performances on the roads in 2018,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “Mary is like family to New York Road Runners, and we are extremely grateful to have one of the greatest marathoners of all-time be such an inspiration to our running community here in New York.”
Keitany received 46.3 percent of the public vote, while U.S. wheelchair racers Daniel Romanchuk and Susannah Scaroni came in second and third, respectively, with 16.2 and 14.1 percent of the vote. Romanchuk became the first American and youngest athlete ever to win the men’s wheelchair division at the TCS New York City Marathon, while Scaroni won the first-ever wheelchair division race at the NYRR New York Mini 10K, breaking the 10K world record in the process.
The other finalists for NYRR Pro Performer of the Year included: Buze Diriba (ETH), Rhonex Kipruto (KEN), Jenny Simpson (USA), and Ben True (USA).
The finalists were chosen based off their performances at the following NYRR races in the NYRR Pro Racing Series: NYRR Wanamaker Mile, United Airlines NYC Half, UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, NYRR New York Mini 10K, New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships, and TCS New York City Marathon.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
