Woman Beats Legendary Runner on Her First Try

While Geoffrey Kamworor takes his second NYC marathon title since 2017
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 3, 2019 11:58 AM CST
Woman Wins New York Marathon on Her First Try
Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya runs alone as he leads in the last minutes during the New York City Marathon Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in New York. Kamworor went on to win.   (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Joyciline Jepkosgei arrived in New York with a modest goal for her first marathon ever. "My focus was to finish the race," she said, a gold medal hanging around her neck. Not bad for a novice. Jepkosgei upset four-time champion Mary Keitany to win the New York City Marathon on Sunday with a historic debut seven seconds off the course record, the AP reports. After pulling away from Kenyan countrymate Keitany with about three miles left, Jepkosgei crossed the finish in Central Park in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 38 seconds, the second-best run in course history. "I didn't actually know that I can win," she said. "But I was trying my best to do it and to make it and to finish strong." The 25-year-old Jepkosgei holds the world record in the half-marathon but had never run a 26.2-mile race before.

Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya has won his second men's title in three years at the New York City Marathon, per the AP. Kamworor crossed the finish in Central Park at 2 hours, 8 minutes and 13 seconds Sunday. He pulled away from countryman Albert Korir in the 24th mile. Korir finished second, and Ethiopian non-elite runner Girma Bekele Gebre was third. The 26-year-old Kamworor finished third last year after winning in 2017. He was greeted at the finish line by training partner Eliud Kipchoge, who completed the first sub-2 hour marathon last month—a feat accomplished under conditions so tightly controlled it didn't qualify for the record books. Kamworor, also the world record holder in the half-marathon, is the 10th multi-time winner.

(More marathon stories.)

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