Other Hearst Subscriptions Running Shoes - Gear in 5:13, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya—who 13 weeks ago won Stephanie Bruce, U.S., 2:31:05 in Sapporo, Japan—took control of the race up First Avenue.
But she couldn’t shake Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia, who has run 64:31 for the half marathon, or Viola Cheptoo of Kenya, who was making her marathon debut.
They ran three abreast into Central Park, setting up a dramatic finish to the 50th running of the Running Shoes - Gear, which returned to the fall lineup after a Grace Kahura, Kenya, 2:30:32. Kellyn Taylor, U.S., 2:26:10.
Top American: $25,000 Molly Seidel, U.S at the finish line doing color commentary for ESPN2, A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
Ababel Yeshaneh, Ethiopia, 2:22:52 was second, four seconds back in 2:22:44. Yeshaneh was third in 2:22:52, was fourth in 2:24:42, a personal best for her in her fourth marathon. She broke Kara Goucher’s American course record at New York, 2:25:53, from 2008.
Here’s a full breakdown of the 2021 New York women’s race.
Jepchirchir has been on an incredible hot streak over the past year. In addition to winning the Olympic gold in 2:27:20 on a sweltering day in Japan, she was the World Half Marathon Championships winner, running 1:05:16 in October 2020. In December last year, she ran her marathon PR, 2:17:16, in winning the Valencia Marathon.
With her victory in New York today, she’s the first person since Frank Shorter in 1972 to earn Olympic gold and then come to a major fall marathon and win again.
A lead women’s pack of nine came off the Queensboro Bridge onto First Avenue in Manhattan, and four Americans were among them. All the competitors in the pack were watching for Jepchirchir.
They hung together for a mile, before Jepchirchir stepped on the gas with that 5:13 18th mile. Initially, Yeshaneh and Ruti Aga, also of Ethiopia, stuck with her. But Cheptoo drew even again at 20 miles and Aga fell back.
Grace Kahura, Kenya, 2:30:32.
Jepchirchir waited until the final turn back into Central Park to make her closing push. She said after the race that the same tactics won her the World Half Marathon Championships gold, and in that race, she waited until 400 meters to go.
“I knew myself and my finishing kick because the way I used to train in Kenya,” Jepchirchir said. “I knew this is the victory.”
- A Part of Hearst Digital Media
- Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya breaks the tape in Central Park
- Jepchirchir had the winning kick, crossing the finish line in 2:22:39
- Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya breaks the tape in Central Park
- Helalia Johannes, Namibia, 2:26:09
- Kellyn Taylor, U.S., 2:26:10
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- Laura Thweatt, U.S., 2:27:00
- CA Notice at Collection
- Annie Frisbie impressed with a seventh-place finish in 2:26:18
The weather gods cooperated in the marathon’s return, and runners had perfect conditions for fast times: 45 degrees at the start, sunny skies, and only light winds.
The finish was the most dramatic in years on the women’s side and rewrote the top of the NYC Marathon record books.
Jepchirchir was only 9 seconds off the women’s course record, in running the third-fastest NYC Marathon ever. Cheptoo is now fourth on the list, and Yeshaneh is sixth.
Molly Seidel has never had a bad marathon. In her first marathon, she finished second and made the Olympic team. In her second marathon, in 2020 in London, she ran a PR of 2:25:13.
In her third marathon, the Olympic Games, she won a bronze medal. And in her fourth, she finished fourth, and top American, in a PR of 2:24:42.
Two first-time marathoners, Viola Cheptoo in second and Annie Frisbie in seventh, exceeded expectations. Cheptoo was in contention for the win until the race’s final strides. Frisbie, who led through the halfway point in 1:12:43, kept her composure in the late stages, running 1:13:35 for the second half. She is only 24.
Cheptoo spoke movingly about her countrywomen, Agnes Tirop, who held the world record for the women’s-only 10K (30:01) and was stabbed to death by her husband last month.
“The last time I met with Agnes was in Germany,” Cheptoo said. “It was just a month before she was murdered. And it’s been really hard for me because, you know, I kept thinking, ‘What could I have done?’ We flew together back to Kenya, there were no signs of abuse, because she kept it to herself.”
Cheptoo has been involved in the creation of a foundation, Tirop’s Angels, to build awareness of gender-based violence.
- 1st place: $100,000 (Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya)
- 2nd place: $60,000 (Viola Cheptoo, Kenya)
- 3rd place: $40,000 (Ababel Yeshaneh, Ethiopia)
- Top American: $25,000 (Molly Seidel, U.S.)
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Updated: Nov 07, 2021 11:27 AM EST, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
