FLASH: TCS New York City Marathon 2015: Mary Keitany wins in 2:24.25 and Stanley Biwott 2:10:34

FLASH: TCS New York City Marathon 2015: Mary Keitany wins in 2:24.25 and Stanley Biwott  2:10:34

Kenya’s Mary Keitany defended her title in fine style at the New York City Marathon, crossing the line in 2:24:25 at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race, while the men’s title went to Stanley Biwott in 2:10:34 on Sunday (1).

The marathon, they say, is a race which doesn’t truly begin until 20 miles, and that was certainly the case in New York, with both winning moves coming in the closing miles after largely uneventful races beforehand.

With an impressive turn of speed over the final five miles in the historic race, which winds its way through the Big Apple’s five boroughs, Keitany finished 1:07 ahead of Ethiopia’s Aselefech Mergia, who was second in 2:25:32.

Another Ethiopian, Tigist Tufa, was third in 2:25:50 with the best European runner, Portugal’s Sara Moreira, coming through strongly over the final four miles to finish just three seconds further back …

1 101 Mary Keitany 02:24:25 Kenya KEN
2 109 Aselefech Mergia 02:25:32 – Ethiopia ETH
3 105 Tigist Tufa 02:25:50 Ethiopia ETH
4 103 Sara Moreira 02:25:53 Portugal POR
5 111 Christelle Daunay 02:26:57 France FRA
6 108 Priscah Jeptoo 02:27:03 Kenya KEN
7 115 Laura Thweatt 02:28:23 CO United States USA
8 104 Jelena Prokopcuka 02:28:46 Latvia LAT
9 112 Anna Incerti 02:33:13 Italy ITA
10 102 Caroline Rotich 02:33:19 NM United States KEN 

Biwott turns the screw

The following 5km, with Biwott applying the pressure at the front, was 14:19, by far the fastest of the race, and that pressure proved too much for Kamwowor, the reigning IAAF world half marathon and world cross country champion.

“The pace was too slow,” said Biwott afterwards, “so I went hard to make it even until the end.”

Biwott opened a lead of five seconds as they entered the final mile in Central Park and as much as Kamworor tried, he couldn’t regain contact during the final run to the finish line.

With a few hundred metres to run, Biwott began waving to the crowds, celebrating what was his first win at a World Marathon Major race.

He crossed the line as champion in 2:10:34 to take his first marathon win since Paris in 2012 and afterwards, the Kenyan explained that a different focus in training had led to his breakthrough …

1 5 Stanley Biwott 02:10:34 Kenya KEN
2 6 Geoffery Kamworor 02:10:48 – Kenya KEN
3 2 Lelisa Desisa 02:12:10 Ethiopia ETH
4 1 Wilson Kipsang 02:12:45 Kenya KEN
5 7 Yemane Tsegay 02:13:24 Ethiopia ETH
6 11 Yuki Kawauchi 02:13:29 Japan JPN
7 4 Meb Keflezighi 02:13:32 CA United States USA
8 16 Craig Leon 02:15:16 OR United States USA
9 259 Birhanu Dare Kemal 02:15:40 NY United States ETH
10 12 Kevin Chelimo 02:15:49 OR United States KEN