NEW YORK, USA, November 6 – Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai, the 2011 Boston Marathon winner, won the New York Marathon men’s title in an unofficial time of two hours, five minutes and six seconds to set a course record on Sunday.
Mutai smashed the old mark of 2:07:43 set by Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Jifar in 2001 to defeat runner-up Emmanuel Mutai, the reigning London Marathon champion, in ideal conditions.
The 29-year-old ran the fastest marathon time ever recorded to win this year’s Boston Marathon men’s crown in 2:03:02 but the time is not recognized as a world record by the IAAF because of course issues.
Ethiopian Firehiwot Dado captured the 42nd New York Marathon women’s title on Sunday, winning in two hours, 23 minutes and 15 seconds to edge compatriot Buzunesh Deba by four seconds.
Dado, a 27-year-old making her New York debut, won her third consecutive Rome Marathon title last March in 2:24:13 but eclipsed that time as her personal best with her closing run in ideal conditions.
Deba, who lives and trains in the parks and streets of the “Big Apple”, settled for second with reigning London Marathon champion Mary Keitany of Kenya in third for the second year in a row in 2:23:39.
Keitany led from the start until the final mile, when Dado took the lead for good after working with Deba to chase down the Kenyan for most of the 26.2-mile journey.
“I’m very happy because there was a runner leading in front of us and I didn’t think we would catch her, but I was very happy when we were able to catch her,” Dado said through a translator.
“Once we saw her, we said to each other, ‘Let’s catch her,’ and working together we were able to catch her.”
“I’m so happy,” Deba said. “People were cheering me and I had so much confidence.”
Keitany, who set the world half-marathon record of 1:05:50 earlier this year, was on an early pace to challenge the women’s world record of Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, 2:17:42 from 2005 in London, and the course record of 2:22.31 set by Kenya’s Margaret Okayo in 2003.
Portugal’s Ana Dulce Felix was fourth in 2:25:40 with New Zealand’s Kim Smith fifth in 2:25:46 and Kilel, the reigning Boston Marathon champion, another 11 seconds adrift in sixth.
Last year’s New York women’s winner, Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat, withdrew last month with a sore left knee suffered in an fall during her victory in August at the world championships in South Korea.