A great victory for tens of thousands of athletes who trained for months for this important day at the 2023 New York City Marathon. From the beginning on Staten Island to the end in Central Park, excited fans cheered continuously.
“It’s a day they’ll always remember, that’s our goal with this event,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners.
Tamirat Tola from Ethiopia clinched victory at the 2023 New York Marathon on Sunday, breaking a new record in the men’s race. This marked Tola’s debut at the New York Marathon, and the world-champion distance runner completed the race in an impressive 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 58 seconds, as confirmed by the official results shared on X.
Tola’s time not only secured his victory but also made history, as it became the fastest time ever recorded in the New York Marathon, breaking Geoffrey Mutai’s previous record of 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 6 seconds set in 2011.
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The second-place finisher in the men’s race on Sunday was Kenyan Albert Korir, who completed the race in 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 57 seconds, finishing nearly 2 minutes behind the leader and not posing a significant challenge. Shura Kitata from Ethiopia secured the third position in the overall men’s standings, with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 11 seconds.
On the women’s side, it was Hellen Obiri’s first win in the New York Marathon. The 33-year-old runner had finished sixth in 2022. This time, she won the race in 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 23 seconds.
“My first debut here was terrible for me, and I said I don’t want to come back here next year… after that, I said, wow, I’m here again,” she said.
Letesenbey Gidey, another runner from Ethiopia, was close behind but finished five seconds later at 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 29 seconds, earning second place. Sharon Lokedi from Kenya secured third place with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 33 seconds. Around 50,000 athletes took part in the race, with thousands more spectators lining the route through New York City’s five boroughs before reaching the finish line in Central Park.
The top three American male runners included Futsum Zienasellassie with a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 9 seconds; Elkanah Kibet, finishing in 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 23 seconds; and Sydney Gidabuday, who completed the race in 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 34 seconds.
The top three American women who completed the race were Kellyn Taylor, who finished in 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds; Molly Huddle, with a time of 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 2 seconds; and Sydney Devore, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 1 second.
The wheelchair race saw Swiss athletes taking the lead, with Marcel Hug winning the men’s division in 1 hour, 25 minutes, and 29 seconds, while Catherine Debrunner set a new course record in the women’s division with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 22 seconds.