Kenyan runners sweep NYC marathon

Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany battled cold and blustery conditions to win close races at the New York City Marathon on Sunday.

Kipsang, who was running in his first NYC Marathon, has set world records at the Berlin and London marathons, but finished with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 55 seconds - more than seven-and-a-half minutes off the record pace he set in Berlin in 2013.

"I really had to exercise a lot of patience," Kipsang said of his race, which took place in winds gusting more than 30 miles (50 kilometers) per hour. "It was not easy."

Kipsang, 29, used a late surge on the finishing stretch to beat Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa by 11 seconds. It was Kipsang's third major marathon victory after capturing the Berlin title last year and winning the London marathon in April.

Keitany, 32, who finished third in the NYC Marathon in 2010 and 2011, won the women's race with a time of 2:25:07, edging her countrywoman Jemima Sumgong by a mere three seconds.

"I worked hard for this opportunity," she said. "I'm happy because I have a victory today, because I know I've been coming to New York two times, and I was in that position. So I'm happy today because it was a good day and I win."

The margin in the women's race matched the closest in New York history. Britain's Paula Radcliffe edged out Kenya's Susan Chepkemei by three seconds in the 2004 edition of the race to win the first of her eventual three New York City Marathon titles.

For their victories, Keitany and Kipsang each earned $100,000 (about 80,000 euros). Kipsang will also receive the $500,000 World Marathon Majors bonus with his victory.

The New York City Marathon is the world's largest. More than 50,000 runners took part in this year's race, which winds through all five boroughs of the city and finishes in Manhattan's Central Park.

bw/jm (AP, AFP)