Kenyan duo, Peres Jepchirchir and Albert Korir win at 2021 New York City Marathon

By CGTN Africa

Athletics – TCS New York City Marathon – New York, United States – November 7, 2021 Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir celebrates winning the women’s elite race with second place Kenya’s Viola Cheptoo and third place Ethiopa’s Ababel Yeshaneh. /REUTERS

Kenyan Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir won the 50th running of the New York City Marathon on Sunday at 2:22:39, surviving a thrilling three-way battle before sprinting for the finish line with fellow Kenyan Albert Korir winning the men’s title at 2:08:22.

Jepchirchir is the first athlete to pick up Olympic gold and win the famed five-borough race in the same year, with compatriot Viola Cheptoo and Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh finishing second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, Korir, who finished second in 2019, had established a 17-second lead through the 35-kilometer mark and leaped into the air as he broke the tape in Central Park, with Moroccan Mohamed El Aaraby finishing 44 seconds behind and Italian Eyob Faniel finishing third.

Athletics – TCS New York City Marathon – New York, United States – November 7, 2021, Kenya’s Albert Korir leads the men’s elite race. /REUTERS

About 30,000 people were registered to take part in Sunday’s event, the 50th New York Marathon.

The temperature hovered around 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.44°C) on Staten Island as the marathon major kicked off at 8 a.m. ET, after going on hiatus for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With input from wires)