Albert Korir, in men, and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, in the women’s branch, each won victories in this Sunday’s competition.
Kenya celebrated a double this Sunday in the 50th edition of the iconic New York City Marathon with the triumphs in the male branch of Albert Korir and in the feminine of Peres Jepchirchir, Olympic champion in Tokyo-2020, both in exciting finals.
Korir, 27, won the emblematic race with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds.
Kenyan had been second in 2019 after his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor and could not fight for the title in 2020 due to the cancellation of the test due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Sunday, Korir rallied in the last kilometers to beat Moroccan Mohamed El Aaraby by 44 seconds, with the Italian Eyob Faniel in third place in 2: 09.52.
“I was hoping to win. It was not an easy race, but I enjoyed it, ”stated Korir. after crossing the finish line.
In the female branch, Peres Jepchirchir became the first Olympic gold medalist to triumph on the streets of New York with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds.
Only 13 weeks after climbing to the top of the Tokyo-2020 podium, Jepchirchir beat the Kenyan Viola Cheptoo in a close final, second with 2: 22,44, and the Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh, who finished in third place with 2: 22,52.
“I did not expect. I thank God for having finished the season well after winning the Olympic marathon ”, he congratulated himself.
Jepchirchir was only able to break away from her podium mates in one last attack on the last corners of Central Park.
“The route is not bad, but not easy,” he explained. “I feel something that I have never felt when finishing a marathon. I don’t know where the energy came from. Thank God it came to me in the last minutes ”.
Jepchirchir, 28, succeeds another Kenyan, Joyciline Jepkosgei, champion in 2019.
About 30,000 runners participated in the 42,195 kilometer race celebrated on the streets of the Big Apple. (D)
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