The 50th New York Marathon flaunted the Kenyan colors on Sunday, November 7, with victories for Albert Korir and Peres Jepchirchir, gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics.
Second in the previous edition in 2019, Korir won in 2h8’22 “seconds. He was 44” ahead of Moroccan Mohamed El Aaraby and Italian Eyob Faniel, 3rd, relegated to 1’30 “. were the first to animate the race by slipping slightly at the 15th kilometer, until having a 51 “lead at the halfway point.
Get on up, Albert Korir!
He is your 2021 #TCSNYCMarathon Professional Men’s Open Division champion! pic.twitter.com/l0fKZ72BX4
— TCS New York City Marathon (@nycmarathon) November 7, 2021
“The race was not easy, but I had fun. When I implemented my tactics, it worked.”, commented the 28-year-old Kenyan.
The latter, along with his compatriot Kibiwott Kandie, has indeed chosen this moment to join El Aaraby and Faniek at the 30th kilometer, and again accelerate the pace without any of his competitors managing to hang on to him.
The 39-year-old Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele, triple Olympic gold medalist (over 10,000m in 2004 and 2008 and over 5,000m also in 2008) finally finished in 6th place for his first participation. Even worse than in Berlin, a month and a half ago, where he finished 3rd.
In women, Peres Jepchirchir has shown that she is indeed the queen of the specialty, four months after her Olympic coronation in Tokyo this summer. “It was not planned, it’s incredible. I thank God for helping me to finish the season well, after winning the Olympic marathon. I had little time to prepare myself, but I have do my best to make sure I finish the job well “, she reacted.
The 28-year-old Kenyan, who put in a terrible acceleration in the final corners of Central Park, won in 2h22’39 “seconds, ahead of her compatriot Viola Cheptoo and Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh, third by five seconds.
“I felt something that I have never felt before finishing a marathon. I don’t know where the energy was coming from. Thank goodness it came to me in the last few minutes.”, she confided. Jepchirchir, who succeeds another Kenyan, Joyciline Jepkosgei, is the first reigning Olympic gold medalist to win the New York Marathon.
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