NEW YORK — In an impressive display of athleticism, Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui emerged victorious in the women’s division of the New York City Marathon held on Sunday, decisively pulling ahead of reigning champion Hellen Obiri during the last mile of the race. This marked Chepkirui’s inaugural participation in the New York marathon, having begun her marathon journey in 2022. She completed the race in an astonishing time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 35 seconds, with Obiri trailing closely behind by nearly 15 seconds.

Obiri aimed to become the first woman to win back-to-back titles since fellow Kenyan Mary Keitany achieved this feat three times in a row from 2014 to 2016. Compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot secured third place, ensuring that the top three finishes were all held by runners from Kenya.

American runner Sara Vaughn started strong, staying with the lead group until Mile 20 when they entered the Bronx, at which point she fell back from the pack. Concluding the race in sixth position, Vaughn had been eager for her marathon comeback after a missed opportunity to run in Chicago due to COVID-19. She only joined this marathon lineup in the weeks leading up to the event.

This year’s marathon also featured an interesting upset in the men’s wheelchair race, where three-time champion Marcel Hug was dethroned by Daniel Romanchuk, a previous winner in 2018 and 2019. In the women’s wheelchair category, Susannah Scaroni claimed first place, marking her second victory in New York following her win in 2022. This achievement also marked a historic moment, establishing American champions in both wheelchair events for the first time.

Spanning a total of 26.2 miles, the marathon course navigates through all five boroughs of New York City, commencing in Staten Island and culminating in Central Park. This occasion celebrated the 48th annual marathon that has traversed all five boroughs; prior to that, the event took place exclusively within Central Park since its inception in 1970. At the inaugural race, just 55 finishers crossed the line, while this year anticipates the participation of over 50,000 runners.

The weather conditions were ideal for marathon running, with temperatures at the start hovering in the lower 40s. In contrast, last year’s starting temperature was recorded at a warmer 61 degrees.