She dropped the reigning champion with a devastating kick in Central Park.
By Theo Kahler
In her fourth marathon, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya ran a ferocious last half kilometre to win the 2024 New York City Marathon in 2:24:35, holding off the reigning champion and 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, Hellen Obiri.
Obiri, who was the prerace favorite and had said in the days before the race that she was targeting the course record of 2:22:31, which dates back to 2003, finished second in 2:24:49, while 41-year-old Vivian Cheruiyot rounded out the podium in 2:25:21.
Chepkirui, 33, came into the race with the fastest personal best in the field, 2:17:29, which she ran at the 2022 Valencia Marathon. This is her first win at a World Marathon Major.
“Winning today means a lot to me. It means my training has been [going] well, and I’m really happy for the win,” Chepkirui said in the post-race press conference. “The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.”
For the first half of the race, the pace was fairly tame, as a group of 21 women came through the half marathon mark in 1:13:59. But during kilometre 28, Cheruiyot headed to front and ran the fastest kilometre of the day to that point, 3:16. At 32 kilometres, the pack dwindled to five, and by kilometre 35, only three women remained: Chepkirui, Obiri, and Cheruiyot.
Chepkirui pushed on the hills of Central Park and ultimately made her move to break Obiri with approximately half a kilometre to go.
Obiri, after the race, said that she was still happy with her performance. She’s had a long season—winning April’s Boston Marathon and taking bronze at the Paris Olympic marathon in August—so she knew the build-up for New York would fairly short.
Defending champion Hellen Obiri after crossing the line in second.
Chepkirui takes home $100,000 USD in prize money for the win. Obiri receives $60,000 for second, and Cheruiyot gets $40,000 for third.
