Peres Jepchirchir and Albert Korir make Kenya proud at New York City Marathon 2021
It's a Kenyan double in the Big Apple as Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon champion Jepchirchir wins in New York at her first attempt as Albert Korir is victorious in the men's race.
Athletics
Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir (Women) and Albert Korir (Men) are the New York City Marathon 2021 winners today Sunday 7 November.
Jepchirchir won gold on her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, and now she's topped the podium on her first attempt in New York too.
The Olympic champ was in control from start to finish and dictated the pace before pulling away from fellow Kenyan Viola Cheptoo and winning by four seconds, with Ethiopian runner Ababel Yeshaneh finishing third.
Tokyo 2020 marathon bronze medallist Molly Seidel of the USA finished just off the podium in fourth.
And shortly afterwards Albert Korir made it a Kenyan double as he crossed the finish line first in the men's pro race.
Second in 2019, the 27-year-old claimed the biggest win of his career here, 44 seconds ahead of Moroccan Mohamed Reda El Aaraby, with Eyob Faniel of Italy in third.
New York City Marathon 2021 - Results
Men's
- Albert Korir 2:08.22
- Mohamed El Aaraby 2:09.06
- Eyob Faniel 2:09.56
- Elkanah Kibet 2:11.15
- Abdi Nageeye 2:11.39
Women's
- Peres Jepchirchir 2:22.39
- Viola Cheptoo 2:22.44
- Ababel Yeshaneh 2:22.52
- Molly Seidel 2:24.42
- Helalia Johannes 2:26.29
Men's Wheelchair
- Marcel Hug 1:31.24
- David Weir 1:38.01
- Daniel Romanchuk 1:38.22
Women's Wheelchair
- Madison de Rozario 1:51.01
- Tatyana McFadden 1:53.59
- Manuela Schaer 1:54.02
Peres Jepchirchir powers on
What a year it's been for Jepchirchir.
She won Olympic gold at her first attempt this summer, then repeated the feat in New York in November.
The Kenyan national hero came into this race well-rested after a 13-week breather following that sensational performance at Tokyo 2020, and never looked in trouble as she controlled the pace and had plenty in the tank for a final burst to the line.
“2021 has already been a magical year, and I am excited that it is not yet over,” Jepchirchir said before the race, “I know that a victory in New York will mean so much to the people of Kenya.”
She has brought much joy to her running-mad country and today will be another big celebration as Kenya's golden pacer added New York to her sparkling CV.
Albert Korir wins New York marathon 2021
Kenya's celebrations grew doubly loud as Korir came home first just after Jepchirchir in the men's race.
Much of the talk pre-race focussed on four-time Olympic medallist Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian coming into the race having finished third in Berlin on September 26.
But Bekele dropped off a quick pace set early by Morocco's El Aaraby and Italian Eyob Faniel, while Korir bided his time and got his tactics right, running to his own rhythm and surging into the lead with around 10k (6 miles) to go.
The 27-year-old showed a clean pair of heels and wasn't going to be caught, building up a 44 second cushion over El Aaraby in second to claim his first major title.
Marcel Hug wins NYC Men's Wheelchair race 2021
Marcel Hug is on a roll.
Switzerland's 'Silver Bullet' claimed the NYC Marathon with six minutes 36 seconds to spare, continuing a stellar year in which he claimed four gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games adding victories in Berlin, London, Boston, and now New York City.
The six-time Paralympic gold medallist was different class as he sped through the streets of New York to claim his fourth title at the line in Central Park.
Half way through the race Hug was three-minutes ahead, and by the end he more than doubled that lead, once again underscoring his dominance over this discipline.
“It’s really crazy” to win, Hug said after the race. “It’s been such a tough fall with the Paralympics and then all these marathons.”
It was a fine result too for Britain's evergreen David Weir who claimed second place, the 42-year-old on the podium again after winning this race back in 2010.
Madison de Rozario holds off Schaer and McFadden in Women's Wheelchair
The women's wheelchair race was a much closer affair in the opening stages as the three Tokyo 2020 Paralympic gold medallists gave us a captivating duel.
But the Tokyo 2020 marathon winner Madison de Rozario seized her opportunity and spun away for gold.
Almost three seconds separated De Rozario and Tatyana McFadden at the finishing line with Schaer just a fraction behind in a photo finish for second and third.
New York City Marathon 2021: The course
The New York City Marathon course crossed the five boroughs of the city beginning on Staten Island, running through Brooklyn, into Queens, parades through the Bronx and back into Manhattan where it finished at Central Park.
The NYC marathon is one of the biggest in the world and usually features over 50,000 finishers, while in these pandemic times it has been scaled back, around 30,000 people completed the course today.
The New York City Marathon is the fifth World Marathon Major - after Berlin (September 26), London (October 3), Chicago (October 10), Boston (October 11) - held over a six-week period this autumn. The final race in the series, in Tokyo, was postponed from October 17th to March 6th 2022.