By Tennie Sumague
EBC New York Bureau
NEW YORK (Eagle News) – Undaunted by last week’s terrorist attacks in Lower Manhattan, over two million people came to cheer on 50,000 runners at the 47th New York City Marathon on Sunday.
For the first time in four decades, an American woman won the event as Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line, outracing three-time defending champion Mary Keitany of Kenya with a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, 53 seconds. The last American to win was Miki Gorman, who won her second consecutive title in 1977.
Smiling and savoring the glorious moment, holding the American flag before the crowd, Flanagan, who competed in the marathon in 2010, called victory “indescribable.”
“I’ve been dreaming of a moment like this since I was a little girl,” said Flanagan, a Massachusetts native. “It means alot to me, to my family. Hopefully it inspires the next generation of women to be patient. It took me seven years to do this. A lot of work went into this one moment.”
On the men’s side, Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya outdueled fellow countryman and 2014 winner Wilson Kipsang by three seconds in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 53 seconds. In the wheelchair division, Switzerland became the first country to have two champions as Manuela Schar and Marcel Eric Hug won the women’s and men’s titles.
Threats of a terror attacks did not deter fans from watching as the NYPD tightened security all over the five New York City boroughs.
Several celebrities participated in the race such as comedian Kevin Hart, who ran his first NYC marathon in 4 hours, 5 minutes, 6 seconds, beating former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber by 33 minutes.
Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston marathon and the New York City marathon winner in 1974, finished in 4 hours, 48 minutes, 21 seconds at the age of 70.
(Eagle News Service)
