Hellen Obiri holds off Gidey and Lokedi to win the women’s NYC Marathon
In a dash to the finish line, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, 33, won her second appearance in the NYC Marathon’s women’s race in 2:27:23.
The women’s marathon came down to a three-person sprint between defending champion Sharon Lokedi, Hellen Obiri, and Letesenbet Gidey. As the runners entered Central Park, Obiri pulled away from Gidey and Lokedi dropped back into third place. Obiri and Gidney continued to battle and were neck and neck in the homestretch, but Obiri managed to outrun second place finisher Gidey in the final 600 meters to win by six seconds.
“In New York we don’t [focus on] the time. It’s all about winning the race,” said Obiri. “I said, ‘let me be patient up until the last few miles.’ So when I went into Central Park, I said, ‘Can I make the move?’”
While the women’s finish proved to be more dramatic than the men’s, this year’s women’s race was slower than expected and the runners never came close to the course record some predicted might be broken. In fact, this year’s winner Obiri finished more than one and a half minutes slower than her 2:25:49 sixth place finish last year.
Obiri also won the Boston Marathon earlier this year in April, making her the first athlete in 34 years to win both Boston and New York City in the same season.
Catherine Debrunner Breaks Course Record In 2023 New York City Marathon
World record-holder Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland set a course record in her NYC Marathon debut on her way to winning the women’s wheelchair race. Dubunner established an early sizable lead over the pack and at the half marathon mark was already more than three minutes ahead of her nearest competitor.
“I knew it was the toughest marathon,” said Debrunner. “I came away much earlier than expected and I did the whole race by myself… I won the whole marathon series and that’s so insane. It’s been a fairy-tale season.”
Debrunner crossed the finish in 1:39:32, shattering the course record of 1:42:43 set last year by Susannah Scaroni, who finished third this year in 1:48:14. It was Debrunner’s third straight marathon win. Earlier this year she set course records at the Chicago and Berlin Marathons, where she also set the marathon world record.
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