New York City Marathon in Blue.
New York City Marathon, results
In the 52nd edition of the world's most popular marathon in New York, there's once again an Italian in the top ten for the third consecutive year. È Iliass Aouani, whose seventh-place finish in Central Park captures the best finish of his career in the span of four races run over the distance. The final time (2h10:54) has to be balanced against the many pitfalls of the course. Always among the top 10 along the winding course in the U.S. metropolis, for the Italian record holder a decisive recovery in the last part, culminating in the achievement of the goal deemed plausible on the eve of the race. For the 28-year-old bearer of the Fiamme Azzurre, a result in line with expectations after posting these split times: 5 km 15:29, 10 km 30:40, 15 km 45:29, 20 km 1h00:27, half marathon 1h03:51, 25 km 1h16:20, 30 km 1h31:48, 35 km 1h47:43, 40 km 2h03:58, 42.195 km 2h10:54. In 2021 for Italy, Eyob Faniel had been third, while in 2022 Daniele Meucci had placed eighth.
The men's challenge was resolved at the 32nd kilometer, with the decisive spurt of former world champion Tamirat Tola, who was able to gain about 30 seconds lead over the other Ethiopian Jemal Yimer in the stretch up to the 35th kilometer, a margin destined to increase to two minutes at the finish line. For Tola, marathon world champion in 2022 in Eugene, also the race record in the Big Apple, a 2h04:58 that bettered Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai’s 2h05:06 by 12 years. Behind Tola, Kenyan Albert Korir (winner in 2021) in 2h06:57, third the other Ethiopian Shura Kitata with 2h07:11. More detached was Dutch Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye, fourth in 2h10:21.
Of a completely different tenor was the development of the women’s race, with as many as five athletes, Hellen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, Violah Cheptoo, Brigid Kosgei and Letesenbet Gidey, entering Central Park, which was reduced to three along New York’s green avenues after Cheptoo and former world record holder Brigid Kosgei gave way. In the last 500-meter stretch Hellen Obiri (2h27:23) finds the energy that had betrayed her last year in her 42.195-kilometer debut right in New York (sixth). A splendid winner in the spring also in the other "major" U.S. (Boston), the Kenyan manages to beat the only Ethiopian in the batch of the best, Letesenbet Gidey (2h27:29) and the surprising winner of the last edition, the other Kenyan Sharon Lokedi (2h27:33), who in turn manages to precede Brigid Kosgei (2h27:45). In the Italian key to note the chrono of Ivana Iozzia from Como (Calcestruzzi Corradini Excelsior), at the finish line in 2h41:16 at fifty'years of ageà.
