Page 20 - AT

A20 SPORTS
Monday 5 noveMber 2018
Ethiopia's Desisa, Kenya's

Keitany win NYC Marathon

By DENIS P. GORMAN near record times. Vivian Cheruiyot by 3 min-
NEW YORK (AP) — By the Keitany, 36, became the utes, 13 seconds.
time Mary Keitany was second woman to win the Flanagan finished third.
pacing her way up Man- marathon four times. She "You have to find motiva-
hattan's First Avenue, she ran the race in 2 hours, 22 tion, things to focus on," Fla-
had no reason to look minutes, 48 seconds, the nagan said. "When I finally
back for challengers. The second fastest time for the got to third place, I got an-
Kenyan's lead was growing course in history. Margaret other level of excitement
over the strong women's Okayo of Kenya set the re- because I was fighting."
field with every stride, and cord of 2:22:31 in 2003. The United States had four
all she thought about was "I can say the course re- women finish in the top 10:
the finish line. cord was not in my mind," Molly Huddle was fourth,
Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia Keitany said. "For me, win- Desiree Linden was sixth
didn't break out into a big ning was the most impor- and Allie Kieffer was sev-
grin until he pulled away tant." enth.
from two opponents late in Desisa, 28, held off country- Four American men also
the race. man Shura Kitata by 1.99 finished in the top 10: Jared
In perfect crisp autumn seconds for his first win in Ward was sixth, Scott Fau-
weather for distance run- New York, joining victories ble was seventh, Shadrack
First place finishers Mary Keitany of Kenya, left, and Lelisa Desisa ners, Keitany and Desisa at the Boston Marathon in Biwott was ninth and Chris
of Ethiopia pose for a picture at the finish line of the New York won the New York City 2013 and 2015. He finished Derrick was tenth.
City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018.
Associated Press Marathon on Sunday in second in New York in 2014 Daniel Romanchuk be-
and third in 2015 and 2017. came the first American
"This is my dream," Desisa to win the men's wheel-
said. "To be a champion." chair division, with a time
Desisa finished in 2 hours, of 1:36:21. Romanchuk fin-
5 minutes, 59 seconds, the ished 01.15 seconds ahead
second fastest time for the of Switzerland's Marcel
course. Geoffrey Mutai of Hug. David Weir of Brit-
Kenya set the record of ain, American Aaron Pike
2:05:05 in 2011. Last year's and Australian Kurt Fernley
winner, Geoffrey Kamworor rounded out the top five.
of Kenya, finished third. "I need air and I'm in pain,"
"I'm pretty happy to finish said Romanchuk, a 20-year
on the podium," Kamworor old from Champaign, Illi-
said. "I came out the best nois, who won the Chicago
that I could in the race. I Marathon last month. "It's
tried my best, and I'm hap- wonderful to be able to win
py to be third." my two Abbott major mar-
Keitany won in 2014, 2015 athons on American soil. It's
and 2016 before coming in an amazing experience."
second last year to Shalane Manuela Schar of Switzer-
Flanagan, the first Ameri- land repeated as winner of
can woman in 40 years to the women's wheelchair di-
win the New York City Mar- vision. Schar, who also won
athon. She joined Grete the Berlin and Chicago
Waitz, the Norwegian who marathons, finished with a
won the marathon nine time of 1:50:27. American
times between 1978-1988, Tatyana McFadden fin-
as the only women to win ished second with a time of
the marathon four times. 1:50:48. Lihong Zou of Chi-
She and Ethiopians Rahma na came in third. Eliza Ault-
Tusa and Gudeta turned Connell of Australia and
their race to a three-wom- Margriet Van Den Broek
an field at the 15-mile mark. of the Netherlands finished
Keitany pulled away from fourth and fifth.
Tusa and Gudeta at the 19- "New York is always a re-
mile mark, leading Tusa by ally tough one for me be-
26.58 seconds and Gudeta cause of the course," Schar
by 43.98 seconds. She ex- said. "I'm not really a good
tended her lead over Tusa climber so I always have to
to 1:27.83 at the 21-mile work really hard in the flat
mark. part. Yeah (I) tried to make
From that point, the ques- that ground that I lose in
tion was not whether Keita- the hills. I'm always a bit
ny would win. Rather, it was more nervous before New
by how much. York than before the other
She beat countrywoman races."q