Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa takes NYC Marathon, Kenya’s Mary Keitany is women’s winner

(Reuters) – Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa used a powerful surge to win his first New York City Marathon in 5 tries, while Kenya’s Mary Keitany claimed a 4th women’s crown with a dominant victory on Sunday.

Desisa finally made it to the top of the podium with a strong closing mile to win in an unofficial 2 hours, 5 minutes and 59 seconds as he and fellow Ethiopian Shura Kitata (2:06:01) passed defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor, who finished third in 2:06:26.

“Today is my day. I am very, very happy,” said Desisa, a 2-time Boston Marathon winner who had finished 2nd in New York in 2014 and third in 2015 and 2017.

“I was thinking this year to be a champion,” Desisa said. “I’m very thirsty to be the champion. I’ve been second. I’ve been third. This year I decided to be champion because I had the training.”

Kitata, 22, led much of the race before Kamworor moved in front of the Ethiopians around the 23rd mile.

Thirty-six-year-old Keitany, returned to the top with a runaway performance. The 36-year-old won by more than three minutes in 2:22:48.

“Last year I was second but I did not give up,” said Keitany, who returned home to train. “I worked very hard for the victory. She had won in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

London champion and fellow Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot was a distant second in 2:26:02.