NEW YORK (AP) — Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya shattered the course record in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday — no surprise after he ran the fastest marathon ever earlier this year.
Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia wasn’t a favorite coming into the women’s race, and victory seemed impossible with even a few miles left — but she made a stunning comeback for her first major marathon title
Mutai finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 6 seconds, crushing the previous mark of 2:07:43 set by Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia a decade ago.
The 30-year-old Mutai has established himself as the favorite at next summer’s Olympics in London after two landmark performances this year.
In April, he ran the fastest 26.2 miles in history: 2:03:02 in Boston. It didn’t count as a world record because the course is considered too straight and too downhill.
The second- and third-place finishers Sunday also broke the old course record. Fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai (no relation), the London Marathon champ, was 1:22 back. Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia was third.
Dado trailed London Marathon champ Mary Keitany by nearly 2½ minutes at the 15-mile mark but passed her with about a mile left. The 27-year-old Dado won in 2:23:15 — almost a minute better than her previous personal best.
Fellow Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba, who lives in the Bronx, was second for her first podium finish at a major marathon, four seconds back. It was the second-closest women’s finish in the race’s history.
“I didn’t really think we would catch her,” Dado said through a translator in a post-race interview. “When we caught up to her, I was very surprised.”
Keitany was third, 23 seconds back. The Kenyan was well under course-record pace for much of the race but faded badly over the final miles.
A record 47,107 runners started the race through the five boroughs.
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