Despite a field made up of several Olympic winners at the Paris 2024 Games, Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui and Dutchman Abdi Nageeye surprised them by winning the New York marathon this Sunday, November 3.
Chepkirui won in 2h 24′ 35, after getting rid of her partner Hellen Obiri (2h 24′ 49) on a final acceleration, winner in New York in 2023 and bronze medalist at the Paris Olympics this summer.
After Berlin and London, Chepkirui confirmed in New York
“My training was very good, I’m very happy. I pulled deep into myself during the last mile which was very hard, I pushed to the limit. “explained Chepkirui on the microphone of the American channel ESPN.
After shining last year in Berlin, with the second place in 2:17:49, and the 6th place at the London marathon this spring, Sheila Chepkirui won her first big marathon at the age of 33.
“Today was my race”
Former Olympic champion in Tokyo in 2021 behind Eliud Kipchoge, Abdi Nageeye won his first major victory after finishing 3rd in New York in 2022.
In 2:07:39, the Dutchman beat three previous winners in New York: the Kenyans Evans Chebet and Albert Korir, and the Ethiopian Olympic champion Tamirat Tola.
“I felt so good, I was very focused. The Olympics were very hard for me (abandoned in Paris)big disappointment. Few people believed in me but I knew I was capable of great things, this was my race today (Sunday) »he announced.
First European winner in New York since 1996
Born in 1989 in Somalia, Nageeye fled the civil war with his brothers for the Netherlands in 1996: “There I could be a normal child, I could play completely safe without meeting soldiers or military vehicles in the streets. »
Nageeye then lived in Syria, then again in Somalia, before returning permanently to the Netherlands as a child.
He is the first European to win in New York among the Italian men Giacomo Leone in 1996.
A “slow” start and a big finish
Three weeks after the shock of the women’s world record in Chicago by Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, the first woman to run in less than 2h10 (2h09’56), the last big marathon of the year did not, as expected , shaking the clock, with its hilly course and without pace leaders.
Both races experienced the same situation with a “slow” start (mid-race passage in 1 h 13 ’59 for the first women, 1 h 05 ’33 for the men) before the furious second half that hurt the hero of Paris Marathon games run three months before.
Ethiopian Olympic champion Tamirat Tola gave up the lead at the 34th kilometer, Belgian runner-up Bashir Abdi only took 9th place. Among the women, Hellen Obiri, with a typically devastating finish, was unable to follow Chepkirui in the final meters in Central Park.
Ratings
> Men: 1. Abdi Nageye (P.-B.) at 2 h 07′ 39′, 2. E. Kiplagat Chebet (Ken) from 6”, 3. A. Korir (Ken) from 21”, 4. T. Tola (Eth) from 33”, 5. G. Kamworor (Ken) from 1′ 11…
> Women: 1. Sheila Chepkirui Kiprotich (Ken) in 2 h 24′ 35”, 2. H. Obiri (Ken) at 14”, 3. V. Cheruiyot (Ken) at 46”, 4. E. Chebichii Chumba (Bah) at 1′ 23”, 5. F. Schlumpf (Sui) at 1′ 56…
2024-11-03 18:05:00
#Chepkirui #Nageeye #surprise #winners
