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SPORTS Monday 4 noveMber 2019

Jepkosgei wins NYC in 1st marathon, Kamworor takes men's

By JAKE SEINER has taken on an unusu-
AP Sports Writer ally heavy race schedule,
NEW YORK (AP) — Joyciline dropped out in mile 18 af-
Jepkosgei arrived in New ter running the Berlin Mara-
York with a modest goal for thon on Sept. 29.
her first marathon ever. Jared Ward was the top
"My focus was to finish the American finisher among
race," she said, a gold the men at sixth place. He
medal hanging around her hoped the hilly New York
neck. terrain would prepare him
Not bad for a novice. for the rolling course in At-
Jepkosgei upset four-time lanta.
champion Mary Keitany to "I hope that does set me up
win the New York City Mar- well," he said. "I think I have
athon on Sunday with a his- some confidence."
toric debut seven seconds American 42-year-old Abdi
off the course record. Abdirahman bested his
Geoffrey Kamworor of Ke- own over-40 record by fin-
nya won the men's event ishing in 2:11:34. Australia's
for the second time in three Sinead Diver posted the
years. He pounced when second-fasted women's
defending champion Lelisa time by an over-40 runner.
Desisa dropped out after The 42-year-old finished
seven miles following a gru- fifth overall in 2:26:23.
eling victory at the swelter- Manuela Schär of Switzer-
ing world championships land won her third straight
last month. Geoffrey Kamworor, left, and Joyciline Jepkosgei, both of Kenya, pose for photos as the men's women's wheelchair title,
After pulling away from Ke- and women's winners of the New York City Marathon, in New York's Central Park, Sunday, Nov. 3, giving her eight consecu-
nyan countrymate Keitany 2019. tive marathon major victo-
with about three miles left, Associated Press ries. After rolling ahead of
Jepkosgei crossed the finish won the New York City Half- Sunday's run started at an The 26-year-old Gebre has the record pace for much
in Central Park in 2 hours, Marathon in March and is ideal 45 degrees F (7 de- no sponsor and no agent. of the race, Schär crossed
22 minutes and 38 sec- the first runner to win both grees C). He's hoping this break- the finish about a minute
onds, the second-best run events. The 26-year-old Kamworor through will change that. off the mark at 1:44:20.
in course history. Kamworor made it a Ke- finished third last year af- "I would like someone to ar- Daniel Romanchuk of the
"I didn't actually know that nyan sweep moments later ter winning in 2017. He was range some races for me," United States repeated as
I can win," she said. "But I with a final time of 2:08:13 greeted at the finish line by he said through a transla- men's wheelchair cham-
was trying my best to do it on the course that traverses mentor and training part- tor. pion in another tight finish
and to make it and to finish through the city's five bor- ner Eliud Kipchoge, who American Desiree Linden over Switzerland's Marcel
strong." oughs. completed the first sub-2 set the pace for the wom- Hug. Romanchuk held off
The 25-year-old Jepkosgei He kicked away from coun- hour marathon last month en early and was the top Hug by one second for the
holds the world record in tryman Albert Korir in the — a feat accomplished U.S. finisher at sixth. The second straight year, cross-
the half-marathon but had 24th mile. Korir finished sec- under conditions so tightly 2018 Boston Marathon win- ing the finish line 1:37:24
never run a 26.2-mile race ond, and Ethiopian non- controlled it didn't qualify ner hasn't decided wheth- England's David Weir and
before. She looked pained elite runner Girma Bekele for the record books. er she will go to the Olym- American Aaron Pike were
climbing the final hill but Gebre was third. "I didn't want to disappoint pic team trials in Atlanta on also within 10 seconds.
strode confidently over the Desisa, who is from Ethio- him," Kamworor said. "That Feb. 29. Last year, Romanchuk be-
finish line. pia, was in 17th place at gave me a lot of motiva- The 36-year-old wants to came the first American
It was too much for Kei- the seven-mile mark before tion. He inspired me to win gauge her recovery before and youngest competitor
tany, a 37-year-old who leaving with pain in one of that race." deciding whether to pur- to win the men's division as
collapsed after finishing 53 his hamstrings. He was at- Kamworor, also the world sue a third Olympics. a 20-year-old. He followed
seconds later. She had won tempting to defend his title record holder in the half- "Right now's not the time, with victories this year at
four of the previous five 29 days after winning worlds marathon, is the 10th multi- just based on how my the Boston and London
NYC Marathons. in Doha, Qatar, in boiling time winner in New York. calves and my feet feel," marathons. Hug took the
"Sometimes a race is a conditions he described He was followed closely by Linden said jokingly. New York title in 2016 and
race," Keitany said. "Any- this week as "dangerous." Gebre, a former New York Kellyn Taylor, an American 2017.
thing can happen." With a temperature of 84 resident who returned to putting her firefighting ca- Organizers were expecting
Jepkosgei is the young- degrees F (29 degrees C) Ethiopia recently to train at reer on hold to pursue the around 52,000 runners to
est New York winner since for the midnight start, 18 altitude. He shaved about Olympics, finished seventh. complete the marathon a
25-year-old Margaret of 73 men didn't finish that five minutes off his personal Sara Hall, another U.S. year after a world record
Okayo in 2001. She also race. best to finish in 2:08:38. Olympic hopeful who 52,813 crossed the finish.q