Keitany wins third New York marathon in a row

New York (AFP) – Kenya’s Mary Keitany captured her third consecutive New York City Marathon women’s title on Sunday, pulling away just past the halfway mark on the way to an overwhelming triumph.

Keitany won in an unofficial time of two hours, 24 minutes and 26 seconds, well off the New York women’s course record of 2:22.31 by Kenya’s Margaret Okayo in 2003.

Keitany, the second-fastest woman in marathon history behind Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, has the longest New York women’s win streak since Norway’s Grete Waitz took five in a row from 1982-1986.

With plenty of time to prepare for her 26.2-mile Big Apple run after not being selected to compete at the Rio Olympics, Keitany cruised to the $100,000 top prize.

Keitany was in a pack of 14 after five miles led by Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Deba, twice a New York runner-up and Boston podium finisher without a win at either.

Keitany, whose personal best is 2:18:37, accelerated the pace and by the 10-mile mark the lead group had trimmed to herself, Kenya’s Joyce Chepkirui and Ethiopia’s Aselefech Mergia.

By mile 12, Mergia was falling back and at 15 miles, Keitany had opened a 10-second lead. By mile 16, Chepkirui’s gap was 33 seconds back and growing and Keitany surged to the finish alone.