Tamirat Tola sets course record, Hellen Obiri emerges from tight pack in respective maiden wins at New York City Marathon
Tola, the 2022 world champion, broke away for a course record time in the men's field while Obiri held off a crowded pack of five in the closing three miles for the women.
Athletics
It was a victorious day for both Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri at the New York City Marathon, but they won in vastly different ways.
Tola, the 2022 world champion from Ethiopia, broke away from the men's pack on Sunday (5 November) at Mile 20 to claim a course record time of 2:04:58, marking his first-ever Marathon Major victory.
While Tola spent much of the final six miles running solo, the Kenyan Obiri surged out of a crowded pack of elite women in the final several hundred metres inside Manhattan's Central Park, holding off Letesenbet Gidey and 2022 NYC champion Sharon Lokedi for the win.
Obiri clocked a 2:27:23 for the win, adding to her title at the Boston Marathon earlier this year. Obiri made her marathon debut in New York just a year ago, finishing in sixth, making this just her third career marathon. She's the first woman to win both Boston and New York in the same year since 1989.
Gidey and Lokedi were just six and ten seconds back of Obiri, respectively.
"Finally, I did it," Obiri said on U.S. broadcaster ESPN. "I said to myself, ‘Let me be patient until we get to Central Park and let’s see what happens at the end.’"
Said Tola: "This is my first Major win, [so] this is very, very important for me. After I [withdrew] from the world championships [this year in Budapest] because of my stomach, I [am] very happy for this. I am thankful for all the support as I ran."
2021 NYC champion Albert Korir finished second in the men some two minutes back of Tola (2:06:57), while Shura Kitata rounded out the top three (2:07:11).
Both Tola and Obiri are Olympic medallists but at different distances: Tola won bronze at Rio 2016 in the 10,000 metres, while Obiri has a pair of silvers from 2016 and Tokyo 2020 in the 5000m.
In the wheelchair events, Marcel Hug of Switzerland completed a historic sweep of the Marathon Majors in 2023 with his sixth victory in New York (and 32nd overall) clocking in at 1:25:29, while his Swiss compatriot Catherine Dubrunner captured the women's event (1:39:52).
New York City Marathon 2023: Hellen Obiri eyes Paris Games
A year after what she called a "terrible" debut in marathoning in New York, Obiri, now 33, said she didn't want to race here again this year. But she found herself at the starting line Sunday morning, and said she felt prepared for the challenge: "Today I was ready."
The women's pace was slow for much of the race, hovering just shy of six minutes per mile as American Kellyn Taylor led for much of the first half. At Mile 18 there were still as many as 11 women clumped in the lead pack.
But as the runners made their way down 5th Avenue alongside the eastern edge of Central Park, Obiri, Gidey and Lokedi broke away, joined by Kenyans Viola Cheptoo and Brigid Kosgei.
That top five slimmed down to just the trio of Obiri, Gidey and Lokedi, with Obiri and Gidey's experience on the track (Obiri is a two-time world champ at 5000m; Gidey the 2022 winner at 10,000m) serving them well.
"I thought 'This is like track again,'" laughed Obiri of having Gidey sprinting next to her. "I knew she was very strong."
It was Obiri who proved stronger, however, a New York victory that she said hopes set her up well for Paris 2024.
"It's hard to get an Olympic selection [for Kenya]," Obiri told reporters. "But I want to be on the team in Paris next year. I have shown that I can do it, so if I get the chance... I want to win a medal at the Olympics. Maybe I can get the gold at the Olympics."
New York City Marathon 2023: NYC redemption for Tamirat Tola
Just over two months after Tola dropped out of the marathon at Worlds as the reigning champ, the 32-year-old was close to his personal best of 2:03:39 (Amsterdam 2021) on what is a challenging New York course.
He blew away his 2018 (2:08:30) and 2019 races here (2:09:20), leading the top three men to clock Top 10 times in NYC history.
It was in Mile 8 that Tola - joined by Korir, Koen Naert and Jemal Yimer - made their move, breaking away from the men's lead pack. By Mile 11, Tola was the race's clear leader, with Yimer on his shoulder up 1st Avenue headed towards the Bronx.
Mile 17 was the fastest of the day, Tola clocking a 4:28. It was Mile 20 where he had built up a 19-second lead.
"I knew that it was going to be a fast race, but I’m happy that I could improve my personal best," said 2021 winner Korir, whose previous best was 2:08:01 in Boston earlier this year.
Tola said on Thursday (2 November) that a top-three finish in New York would greatly help his chances to qualify for the Ethiopian Olympic team, especially having been third in London earlier this year.