Shalane Flanagan is the first American woman to win the New York City marathon in 40 long years! She finished at exactly 2 hours, 26 minutes, 53 seconds.
According to Flanagan, who is currently 36 years old, winning the NYC Marathon has been a dream of hers since she was a kid. During the 2008 Olympics, Flanagan won a silver medal in a 10,000-meter race.
This year, the NYC marathon experienced a boost in security because of an attacker who drove a truck over cyclists and pedestrians on a bike path in Manhattan. The attacker left eight people dead and this was only five days before the marathon.
NYC Police added an extra number of uniformed police officers along the course of the race, which winds through NYC's five boroughs. There were also police officers wearing only plain clothes, as well as snipers posted on several rooftops and bomb-sniffing dogs.
The Mayor’s office said that at least two million people lined the streets cheering and motivating the runners.
"It has been a very tough week for the people of New York, and it has also been a very tough week for the country," said Flanagan in an interview. "I was thinking that an American woman winning the marathon is an excellent gift to give to the entire nation. It will surely put a smile on the faces of Americans today."
Flanagan beat Kenyan Mary Keitany who had already won three times. Mamitu Daska, an Ethiopian, finished third.
The race for the men was closer with Kamworor finishing at 2 hours, 10 minutes and 53 seconds. Wilson Kipsang came in second. He was just 3 seconds behind Kamworor, who is currently 24 years old and the reigning cross country champion.
Kamworor said that he looked up to see the video monitor near the finish line and he saw that Kipsang was slowly gaining on him.
"I made sure that I believed in myself. I had to perform the best so I could to ensure that I would win the marathon. I thank God that I actually won," exclaimed Kamworor.
Lelisa Desisa and Lemi Berhanu grabbed the 3rd and 4th place.
Desisa was asked regarding his thoughts about Kipsang and Kamworor making their move to break away from everyone else in the final leg of the race. He said that he had just recovered from an injury.
During the marathon, he experienced leg tightness. "I realized that there was no way I could pass them. But, I did not quit and I made sure that I kept my third place," said Desisa.
The winner of 2016's men's race, Ghirmay Ghebreselassie, decided to quit after 22 miles due to extreme exhaustion.
