Wilson Kipsang finished like a miler to win today’s New York City Marathon in 2:10:59. The perfectly timed sprint gave the tall Kenyan a win in his New York debut, and the big bonus of the $500,000 World Marathon Majors championship.
That must have tasted specially sweet, as the first-place points for this last race of the two-years series displaced Dennis Kimetto, who broke Kipsang's world marathon record five weeks ago.
Most significant, Kipsang, who has won fast, paced marathons in Frankfurt, Berlin and London, proved that he can win a tactical, unpaced, wind-buffeted true race on the uneven streets and exposed bridges of the five boroughs.
Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, the 2013 Boston champion who presented his medal back to the city as a gesture of sympathy after the bombings there, made it a stubborn duel, until Kipsang let loose in the last 400 yards in Central Park. Desisa ran 2:11:06 for second.
Third in a surprise comeback to the top level was 2010 New York champion Gebre Gebremariam (2:12:13). Mary Keitany Pulls Away at End Meb Keflezighi delighted his huge fan club by seizing fourth in 2:13:18.
Headwinds and crosswinds made the early miles a time for watching and waiting. Every place-getter spoke of the problems, but the most graphic account came from wheelchair champion Kurt Fearnley, who described how on one bridge crossing he felt the wind lift the front wheels of his chair so high he thought he might get blown over the edge.
With the pace up front best described as cautious, Americans Keflezighi, Nick Arciniaga and Zach Hine all took the chance to lead at some point. Two Japanese, Masato Imai and Yuki Kawauchi, the famous non-professional "citizen runner," also took their turn to collect the cheers of a crowd that seemed diminished by the blustery chill conditions, but kept up New York's exuberant reputation.
The big boys were waiting patiently.
"Everyone was trying to run from behind. No one was willing to take the lead because of the strong wind. I had to exercise a lot of patience," said Kipsang.
"I had to use my tactic in this race. I stayed behind, to see the distance from the front, and then came back from a bad patch," said Gebremariam.
Desisa had internal as well as external weather problems, vividly describing for the media his discomfort from the combination of the cold wind and an over-full bladder.
"I was not relaxed," is the most usable of Desisa's comments.
Third in a surprise comeback to the top level was 2010 New York champion.
The mood among the leaders, like their running form, seemed relaxed, and during the 14th mile Kipsang, defending champion Geoffrey Mutai and Michael Kipyego could be seen enjoying some joke. But Kipsang denied that he was finding it easy.
"The conditions were not favorable, and made it tough. It was a slow time, but in better weather we would have been faster, yes, even 2:04 is possible," he said, in a less than subtle glance at Mutai's course record of 2:05:06.
The true race started as the surviving nine-man pack braced for the turn south out of the Bronx, when a series of sub-5:00 miles whittled them down. South African April Lusapho was the first to throw in a 4:45 mile, and then defending Mutai surged smoothly to a 4:56 for the 20th mile, trying to replicate his winning move of 2011 and 2013.
But this time he had a minder, or a stalker, Kipsang attentive at his shoulder, with Desisa also lurking behind.
At 22 miles it looked like a tag-team contest, with two Kenyans, Mutai and Kipsang, versus two Ethiopians, Desisa and Gebremariam. That mile, slightly uphill, was run in 4:36. The time for watchful patience was over. The gloves – and in this case the wool hats and the arm warmers – were off.
Kipsang and Desisa shared the 23rd mile in 4:35. That set Mutai and Gebremariam adrift. The two leaders duked it out through Central Park with miles of 4:56 (including the hill by the Metropolitan Museum) and 4:38.
Coming back into Central Park with just more 400 meters to go, there was a brief contact.
"I didn't see because Lelisa was coming from behind. So when he came from this other side, he brushed my shoulder. Then I was telling him what happened, and there's a lot of space," said Kipsang diplomatically.
It was the cue for Kipsang's moment. He surged away from Desisa with a track runner's high smooth stride, and pranced triumphantly to the tape.
A satisfied Ryan Vail drew attention to the American men's success, with three in the top ten: Keflezighi fourth, Vail ninth (2:15:08) and Arciniaga tenth (2:15:39). Last year, Vail was the top American with a 13th place finish.
Another notable American result was Stephan Shay, 15th in 2:19:47, running in memory of his older brother Ryan, who died of cardiac arrhythmia during the Mary Keitany Pulls Away at End in Central Park in November 2007.
Aron Rono, 18th in 2:23:30, and Zach Hine, 20th in 2:24:10, made it six Americans inside the coveted top 20.
FULL COVERAGE OF THE NYC MARATHON
Main Story: The 2025 Marathon and Half Marathon Calendar
Men's Recap: Kipsang Surges Over Last Mile to Win
Women's Recap: Mary Keitany Pulls Away at End
U.S. Men: Running Shoes - Gear
U.S. Women: Races - Places
Tennis star: Virtual Races With the Best Bling
Other Notables: How to Watch the NCAA XC Championships
On Social: Awesome Tweets About the Marathon
Slideshow: The Runners and the Scenes
Slideshow: New York City Marathon Post-Race Emotions
Slideshow: Running Shoes - Gear
Slideshow: Runners' Photos from the 2014 New York City Marathon
Notebook: News and Notes from the 44th Running
Postrace:Races & Places
Postrace: Brooklyn Mother is Millionth NYC Marathon Finisher
PREVIOUSLY
Families:For Top Runners’ Spouses, a Nervous Waiting Game
Perspective: How Urban Marathons Helped Save Cities
Strategy:Kipsang, Keitany Prevail in the Gale
Complete coverage on our NYC Marathon Page
Roger Robinson is a highly-regarded writer and historian and author of seven books on running. His recent Nutrition - Weight Loss in Central Park in November 2007 Running Times quot;I was not relaxed," is the most usable of Desisas comments Runner’s World contributor, admired for his insightful obituaries. A lifetime elite runner, he represented England and New Zealand at the world level, set age-group marathon records in Boston and New York, and now runs top 80-plus times on two knee replacements. He is Emeritus Professor of English at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and is married to women’s running pioneer Kathrine Switzer.
