New York City sets world record for largest marathon, organisers say

The New York City Marathon on Sunday broke the record for the world's largest marathon, with 55,646 runners crossing the finish line in Central Park, organisers said.

That beat the record set by Berlin's Marathon in September, when 54,280 completed the fellow World Marathon Major.

The five-borough race included the most women's finishers ever with 24,731, organisers said, as more amateur enthusiasts flock to distance running in the US.

Dutchman Abdi Nageeye won the men's race on Sunday, while Sheila Chepkirui led a Kenyan sweep of the women's podium. 

Dutchman Abdi Nageeye survived a tense battle through the final mile to win the marathon in two hours seven minutes and 39 seconds, while Sheila Chepkirui led a Kenyan sweep of the women's podium in 2:24:35.

The 2022 champion Evans Chebet had victory within his reach until the final 400m, when Nageeye pulled away, and the Kenyan settled for second in 2:07:45, while his compatriot Albert Korir (2:08:00) was third.

“I was just thinking I'm dreaming,” said Nageeye, savouring the triumph even more after a disappointing outing at the Paris Olympics, where he collided with another runner and was unable to finish the race.

Chebet, one of the most decorated runners in the sport with a pair of Boston wins, looked firmly in control as he sprinted down the Queensboro Bridge to push the pace around the 16-mile mark, hoping to shake the densely packed lead group.

Nageeye chased him down quickly, however, and the two had ditched the rest of the field by the final mile, running shoulder-to-shoulder through the throngs of fans cheering wildly along the course.

Chebet lost steam as they took the final turn into Central Park and Nageeye ran the final straight all by himself two years after settling for third on the podium.

In the women's race, Chepkirui ran a technical, flawless race, hanging in with the lead pack from the start and denying defending champion Hellen Obiri in a gritty final mile to collect her first major title.

Obiri, who finished third at the Paris Games just 12 weeks ago, crossed the line 14 seconds later while 41-year-old Vivian Cheruiyot added more hardware for Kenya in 2:25:21.

It was the first time since 1976 that three women from a single country had swept a podium in the five boroughs.