NOS Sport•vandaag, 17:15
Abdi Nageeye has become the first Dutch athlete to win the New York Marathon. He is also the first Dutch man to win one of the six majors, the most prestigious marathons.
Nageeye ran away from Kenya’s Evans Chebet in the final at Central Park to win in 2.07.39.
Nageeye is the first Dutchman to win the New York Marathon
With the special victory, Nageeye washes away his Olympic hangover. In Paris he had the feeling that he could compete for the medal of honor, but he had to drop out six kilometers before the finish.
In New York, Nageeye was attentively at the front from the start after a “super nice” preparation. Already on the first bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn, he joined a group of attackers. That attempt failed, but it showed how fresh and sharp the athlete born in Somalia had started 35 years ago.
‘My race’
Led by Ethiopian top favorite and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola, the group continued to thin out during the more than 42 kilometers through the five neighborhoods of New York. Nageeye was immediately on board with every acceleration. “Everyone tried something today, but I was in everything,” he said shortly after the finish. “No one got away, I know the course well and today it was my race.”
Extensive summary of the New York marathon, with Nageeye as the winner
On the long straight stretch over First Avenue in Manhattan, only Nageeye and the Kenyan Evans Chebet were able to catch up with Tola.
With four kilometers to go, Nageeye increased the pace. Chebet followed in his footsteps, Tola had to leave a gap, did not return and eventually finished fourth.
Nageeye rushes away
Chebet placed the next gear, but it was smoothly parried by Nageeye, who had a decisive attack in his legs. He walked away from his last remaining competitor through the finish street in Central Park, looked back a few more times and then covered his face with his hands.
“I was so focused, even when I was walking to the finish alone I couldn’t believe I was going to win,” he said after the finish. “It seemed like a dream. The Games were so disappointing for me, after that I thought about the Olympic marathon during every training session. I wanted to win, here in New York. Nobody believed me, I was not among the five favorites here.”
Nageeye after New York marathon victory: ‘I saw: this is mine’
For Nageeye it was the last bridge in the course. The Brooklyn Bridge, where he was released in his three previous participations and ultimately finished seventh, fifth and third. “I had to survive the bridge. Then it was my race. If I was still there after that, I was sure I would win.” And so it happened.
Chepkirui knocks Obiri
In the women’s race, the victory went to Sheila Chepkirui. In the final phase in Central Park, the 33-year-old Kenyan surprisingly sprinted away from top favorite Hellen Obiri, who won in New York last year and also won the last two Boston marathons.
ReutersHellen Obiri
After a quiet opening phase, Obiri increased the pace considerably and thinned out the group further and further. In the second part, 41-year-old Vivian Cheruiyot appeared at the front and caused unrest in the leading group with several accelerations.
In the end, Chepkirui and Obiri proved to be the strongest, only in the last hundreds of meters did Chepkirui manage to run away from her compatriot.
Romanchuk ends ‘Silver Bullet’ Hug series
Daniel Romanchuk (1.36.31) surprisingly won the wheelers. The American raced away from a leading group of three in the final stretch in Central Park. Marcel Hug, who had already won six times in New York and had not lost a major in three years, was the conspicuous absentee on the podium.
The often unapproachable Swiss, nicknamed ‘Silver Bullet’, has lost his lead over the competition due to a rule change. The federation decided this year that the wheelchairs were true wheelers When sitting, the back should no longer protrude, which meant that Hug had to make adjustments.
More than his seat, a collision with Romanchuk seemed to bother him. Not long after the incident, Hug had to let go of the leading group and finished fourth.
Jetze Plat was the best Dutchman in sixth place, Geert Schippers was eighth. The American Susannah Scaroni soloed, just like last year, to win the women’s race.
