Evans Chebetthe formidable Kenyan who three years ago won the Buenos Aires marathon with a record for the circuit of 2 hours and 5 minutes, exactly (best historical sign in South American territory), has consolidated, this Sunday, as one of the main specialists of the world: conquered the famous New York marathonwhose 51st edition brought together 50,000 runners across the five neighborhoods of the Big Apple. They took the starting signal on the Varrazano Narrows Bridge and ended up in Central Park in the heart of Manhattan.
Chebet completed the 42.195 meters in 2h08m41, resisting the final siege of his compatriot Shura Kitata (2h08m54). Completing the podium was the Dutch – of Somali origin – Abdi NageeyeOlympic runner-up, who scored 2h10m31.
Chebet, thus, closes a spectacular double: in April he had won another of the “majors” of the marathon circuit, in Boston, with 2h06m41. And it reaffirms the dominance of Kenyans in this discipline.
Although several athletes from that country have suffered sanctions in recent weeks for violating anti-doping rules, the most important have won the titles of all the so-called “majors” of 2022: in addition to the aforementioned Chebet triumphs, we must mention that of star and two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge (won in tokyo It’s inside Berlin, here beating the world record). And the Kenyans also won the titles of the other great races: Amos Kiprut in London Y Benson Kipruto in Chicago.
The New York women’s event also went to Kenya, where she won Sharon Lokdi in 2h23m23, in front Lorna Salpeter (Israel) with 2h23m30 and the Ethiopian Gotyom Gebrselase with 2h23m39.
Another Kenyan, multiple award-winning in athletics events Elena Obirihe made his debut in the distance and finished 6th with 2h25m49.
The young Brazilian Daniel Ferreira do Nascimento (24 years old, South American record holder with 2h04m51 since last April in Seoul) imposed a diabolical pace on the test and crossed the half marathon in 1h01m22. He had an advantage of almost two minutes on the group of favorites but, afterwards, he collapsed and had to stop at the end of the hour and 40 minutes, abandoning the test.
The New York Marathon was created by the legendary entrepreneur Fred Lebow in 1970 and has since pioneered popularity for these distances. The pandemic, as in the rest of the world, forced its cancellation in 2020, while last year’s edition was limited to 30,000 runners for health reasons. There another Kenyan triumphed, Alberto Corir, which this Sunday was classified 7a with 2h13m27. The only South American athlete who managed to conquer New York was the Brazilian Marilson Gomes dos Santoswinner in 2006 and 2008.
Chebet, the new winner, is 34 years old and his personal best is 2 hours and 3 minutes, obtained in December 2020 when he won another important marathon, that of Valencia.
Source: Clarin
