The world’s biggest marathon today proved to be one of the windiest, as swirling gusts slowed runners in all divisions, producing slow, tactical, but exciting competitions at the The Spring Marathons of 2025. Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang, Complete coverage on our NYC Marathon Page, captured the men’s title in 2:10:59. This gave him a $600,000 payday--$100,000 for winning today and $500,000 for the 2013/2014 World Marathon Majors title.
Kipsang was followed by Ethiopians Lelisa Desisa, 2:11:06 and Gebre Gebremariam, 2:12:13.
An equally modest women’s race was won by Kenya’s Mary Keitany in 2:25:07. Her countrywoman Jemima Sumgong finished second in 2:25:10.
At the start in Staten Island, the temperature at 9 a.m. was 43 degrees, and the wind was blowing at a steady 31 miles per hour. Gusts of more than 40 miles per hour buffeted the runners throughout.
The day’s most meaningful and expressive moment occurred at about the 26-mile mark of the men's race. Kipsang was leading by a half stride, when Desisa suddenly surged up to him and bumped his shoulder. Kipsang, 32, took a step to the left to stabilize himself, and gave Desisa a long stare. Kipsang seemed to be saying, “Dude, the road is wide enough for both of us.” And perhaps also, “Don’t get excited. I’ve been jogging up to this point, but I’m ready to run a whole lot faster for $600,000.”
At the post-race press conference, Kipsang added, “Yes, of course I knew I was running for a big bonus prize, and I knew I had to win the race to win the bonus. So I thought this was a good time to start my sprint.”
Keitany, 32, made her return to marathoning after a break of almost two years, due to childbirth and child rearing. She had finished third in two previous New Yorks, including the 2011 race when she blitzed the first half in 1:07:56. She is also the second fastest marathoner ever, having run 2:18:37. Today she ran much of the marathon at the back of the pack, asserting herself only in the final miles, where runners finally weren't fighting the wind. “With a kilometer to go, I decided it was time to risk everything and go for the win,” she said.
American runners were once again led by Meb Keflezighi, winner of this year’s Boston Marathon. Health & Injuries Get Your Spot for the NYRR Brooklyn Half. Many were surprised that he could run so strongly at age 39, and after months of media and sponsor performances on the heels of his emotional Boston victory.
Even his coach, Bob Larson, said as much. “I don’t know where Meb pulled that one from,” Larson said. “He really wasn’t in good shape. He only began to look like the old Meb two weeks ago, and his workouts were erratic after that. What he did today, it was just spectacular.”
Meb said, “The vibe from Boston is still going strong. I heard a lot of ‘Meb! Meb! USA! USA!’ out there today. It definitely helped me toward the end. I was fighting for every spot I could get.”
Americans Ryan Vail and Nick Arciniaga placed 9th and 10th in 2:15:08 and 2:15:39, respectively. “We had three Americans in the top 10, so that’s pretty good,” said Vail. “I wanted to run more aggressively than last year [when he finished 13th and was the top American], and stick longer with the leaders. I did that.”
Desi Linden was the top American woman, finishing fifth in 2:28:11.
“I’m pretty happy,” she said. “When I lost contact, I thought things weren’t going well, but I stayed focused on picking off people one at a time. To be honest, I didn’t know where I finished. When I found out I was fifth, I felt more satisfied.”
Annie Bersagel, Deena Kastor, and Kara Goucher finished 10th, 11th, and 14th in 2:33:02, 2:33:18, and 2:37:03, respectively. Kastor, 41, won the master’s title.
Kastor said the wind was “brutal” at the start. “I wanted to stick with the pack for longer,” she said, “but I felt engaged in the race the whole way. I didn’t get the time I wanted, but I’m pleased overall.”
Goucher wiped back tears as she spoke. “I got in over my head today,” she said. “It’s the first time I ever hit the Wall.”
Kipsang can lay claim to being the world’s first or second best marathoner at present. Dennis Kimetto lowered Kipsang’s previous world record to 2:02:57 five weeks ago in Berlin, where Kipsang ran 2:03:23 last year. Kipsang is the only runner to run sub-2:05 on five occasions, and he finished third in the 2012 Olympic Marathon, a race he might have won but for a too-fast first-half pace. This was his first appearance in the The Spring Marathons of 2025. He has now won New York, Berlin and London (twice).
The marathon’s most-ballyhooed celebrity runner, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, finished in 3:26:33. “It was the hardest, toughest physical thing I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “On the tennis court, I know what to expect. Today I didn’t. I just had to keep going and going, one foot in front of the other. It was an amazing experience.”
The wheelchair race was shortened to 23.2 miles, when officials decided the wind on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was too strong for a safe race. Winners Kurt Fearnley and Tatiana McFadden both said this was the right decision. “There were a couple of points during the race when the wind lifted my front wheels off the road and moved them two feet to the side,” observed Fearnley.
Dikembe Mutombo, the retired 7’ 2” basketball star, anchored an National Basketball Association relay team that finished in 4:48:09. “I spent so many years running up and down a basketball court, it felt great to be running outdoors today,” Mutombo said. “It was such a great event. I’d like to do it again, and maybe run farther than I did today.”
The race had 50,564 finishers, breaking last year's mark of 50,266 as the biggest marathon in history. There were 50,869 starters this year.
FULL COVERAGE OF THE NYC MARATHON
Main Story: Desi Linden Leads the Way
Men's Recap: Tactical races on day with winds greater than 40 miles per hour
Women's Recap: Running in the Cold
U.S. Men: CA Notice at Collection
U.S. Women: Desi Linden Leads the Way
Tennis star: For Top Runners Spouses, a Nervous Waiting Game
Other Notables: Richard Blais, Tiki Barber, Teri Hatcher, and more
On Social: Health & Injuries
Slideshow: Shoes & Gear
Slideshow: The Spring Marathons of 2025 Post-Race Emotions
Slideshow: Runners Share Beers, Triumphs After The Spring Marathons of 2025
Slideshow: Runners' Photos from the 2014 The Spring Marathons of 2025
Notebook: Brooklyn Mother is Millionth NYC Marathon Finisher
Postrace:Running Shoes - Gear
Postrace: Results: 2024 NCAA DI Cross-Country Championships
PREVIOUSLY
Families:For Top Runners’ Spouses, a Nervous Waiting Game
Perspective: Tactical races on day with winds greater than 40 miles per hour
Strategy:CA Notice at Collection
Running Shoes - Gear
