Red-hot Keitany wins NY Marathon
Athletics
By
AFP
| Nov 05, 2018
Kenya's Mary Keitany won her fourth women's title in five tries at Sunday's 48th New York City Marathon.
The 36-year-old endurance veteran, who finished second to American Shalane Flanagan in last year's Big Apple showdown, reclaimed the crown in an unofficial time of two hours, 22 minutes and 48 seconds.
Only Norway's Grete Waitz, a nine-time champion from 1978 to 1988, has won more New York women's titles than Keitany, who is also a three-time London Marathon winner.
Keitany stayed with the leaders from the start, taking on the challenging pace of Ethiopians Netsunet Gudeta and Rahma Tusa in a breakaway midway into the 26.2-mile race over the streets of New York.
World half-marathon champion Gudeta cracked in the 16th mile and Tusa faded in the 18th, leaving Keitany to run alone to the finish line over the closing miles.
Two-time Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa held off Ethiopian compatriot Shura Kitata by two seconds to win Sunday's 48th New York City Marathon.
Desisa surged late to grab the lead then withstood a finishing kick from Kitata to win the 26.2-mile showdown over the streets of New York in an unofficial time of two hours, five minutes and 59 seconds.
Kitata, six years younger than Desisa at age 22, settled for a second major marathon runner-up finish this year and taking second in London.
Defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya was third in 2:06:26.
Desisa was 54 seconds off the New York men's record set in 2011 by Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya.