Kenyan runners Evans Chebet and Sharon Lokedi competed in the New York City Marathon for the first time Sunday, and they didn't merely win -- they made history. Chebet, who won the Boston Marathon in April, became the first man to complete the Boston-NYC double since 2011. Lokedi, meanwhile, claimed a victory in what was the first marathon of her career.
This was the first full-capacity New York City Marathon since 2019; the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event and a limited capacity for the following year's race.
Chebet took the lead from Brazil's Daniel Do Nascimento after the latter had a scary health incident. Do Nascimento, a 24-year-old who was leading for a significant portion of the race, reportedly collapsed soon after taking an 18-second bathroom break on Mile 21. The 33-year-old Chebet would go on to win the men's race comfortably with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 41 seconds. Ethiopia's Shura Kitata and the Netherlands' Abdi Nageeye finished second and third, respectively.
In the women's race, the 28-year-old Lokedi won with a time of 2:23:23. Israel's Lonah Chemtai Salpeter placed second while Ethiopia's Gotytom Gebreslase landed in third. It was a tight race between Lokedi and Chemtai Salpeter until the final two miles, when Lokedi increased her pace and eventually won by seven seconds.
"I'm out of words, I'm really excited ... The course was amazing, the cheers, everything," Lokedi told ESPN after her win. "I'm just thankful."
