The fastest runners of this year’s New York City marathon have already crossed the finish line, while others are grappling with their last bit of determination and stamina to complete the 26.2 miles run.
This year, the first woman to break through the tape was Sharon Lokedi. The 28-year-old Kenyan athlete completed the marathon in just 2 hours, 23 minutes and 23 seconds. She began competing first in collegiate track and cross country in 2015. Three years later, she won the 10000 m at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She has been a 10-time All-American & 12-time Big 12 champion and today she won the New York City Marathon Women’s division.
High expectations were looming over Lonah Chemtai Salpeter. The Kenyan-Israeli runner was one of the marathon’s golden girls, thanks to numerous achievements in her track career: bronze medalist at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, 10,000-meter winner at the European Athletics Championship of 2018, and third place at the 2022 edition, to name a few. Despite her incredible effort, she was not able to beat Lokedi, and grabbed second place, finishing just 7 seconds behind her compatriot.
Gotytom Gebreslase, from Ethiopia, arrived third with a time of 2 hours, 23 minutes and 39 seconds.
Aliphine Tuliamuk is the first American athlete to cross the finish line, in seventh place, taking 2 hours, 26 minutes and 18 seconds to complete the city run.
The vast crowds that follow the runners across the city may not have realized that as Lokedi flew by on her way to victory, they were witnessing the rise of a new superstar. One step at a time Lokedi passed veterans of the sport and she has now engraved her name into the list of athletes who have achieved the unimaginable, winning the NYC marathon–the holy grail of long-distance races.
As of 10.30 am, New York City has a new “marathon queen”, at least until next year.
