Dutchman Nageeye and Kenyan newcomer Chepkirui pull off a surprise at New York Marathon

Somali-born Dutchman Abdi Nageeye and Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui both scored surprise victories Sunday at the iconic New York City Marathon. Both athletes beat the big favorites, Ethiopian Olympic champion and winner of the 2023 edition of the race Tamirat Tola and fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri, respectively.

Nageeye, a silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, claimed his first major marathon triumph with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 39 seconds. The 35-year-old Dutchman separated himself in a vibrant last mile in Central Park from Kenyan Evans Chebet (2:07:45), champion of the 2022 edition. Kenyan Albert Korir, winner in 2021, was third with a mark of 2:08:00.

The big favorite, Tola, had to settle for fourth place (2:08:12). Moreover, he fell short of his goal of becoming the first marathoner to win Olympic gold and the New York marathon in the same year.

"I felt great, I was super focused. The Olympics were very hard for me, a big disappointment," Nageeye told AFP recalling his withdrawal at the Paris event. "Few people believed in me, but I knew I was capable of great things," said the Somali-born runner, who was third in New York in 2022.

Debut victory for Chepkirui

In the women's race, Kenyan Chepkirui got also her first big win with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 35 seconds. Chepkirui, 33, overtook her compatriot Hellen Obiri (2:24:49), the reigning champion and bronze medalist at Paris 2024, in the final stretch.

This victory "means a lot to me, it means my training was good and I'm very happy," Chepkirui told ESPN. "The last mile was very hard but I pushed myself to make it."