Nairobi — Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui held off a stiff challenge from fellow countrywoman, Hellen Obiri, to win the New York Marathon on Sunday — her first-ever World Marathon Majors triumph.
Chepkirui clocked 2:24:35, ahead of immediate former defending champion Obiri, who ran 2:24:49 to finish second.
The 2016 Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot, finished third after clocking 2:25:21 in what was a podium sweep for Kenya.
Another Kenyan, Eunice Chumba, finished fourth in 2:25:58.
It was Chepkirui’s first win of the year in which her best result before Sunday was a second-place finish at the Kagawa Half Marathon in Japan where she clocked 1:06:47.
Her last 42km race — the London Marathon in April — only yielded a sixth-place finish after timing 2:19:31.
Sunday’s race took some time before the contenders could be distinguished from the also-rans.
At the halfway mark, the leading pack consisted of up to 20 runners – all of who within five seconds of one another.
However, with 18 miles gone, this number whittled down to 10, including Kenya’s Obiri, Cheruiyot, Chumba, Chepkirui as well as Sharon Lokedi – winner of the race in 2022.
Three miles later, the race had certainly taken shape with Lokedi dropping off the leading pack, which consisted of Obiri, Chepkirui, Chumba, Cheruiyot and Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi.
With the finish line in sight, the race had morphed ontoa Kenyan affair with Obiri, Cheruiyot and Chepkirui fighting for the top honour.
Cheruiyot seemed to have thrown in the towel and it was left to the other two to continue the fight to the finish line.
Despite Obiri’s customary powerful kick, Chepkirui held on for her first ever World Marathon Majors win — and a perfect ending to a year of so-near-yet-so-far.