After Brazilian Daniel Do Nascimento fell during the race, Kenyans Evans Chebet and Sharon Lokedi overcame extreme heat and humidity to win the New York City Marathons on Sunday.
Around the halfway mark, Do Nascimento set a scorching pace and had a two-minute advantage. However, around mile 20, he lurched forward and collapsed, startling witnesses as police officials rushed to help him. Later, race organizers said that he had not been brought to the hospital and was well.
Chebet, who took first place in Boston this year, picked up speed about mile 15 and battled through obvious exhaustion to deliver a final surge that sent him across the finish line in two hours, eight minutes, and 41 seconds before collapsing on the ground and rolling onto his back.
Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands came in third, followed by the Ethiopian Shura Kitata in second place in 2:08:54.
With his victory, Kenya has successfully swept all six main 2022 male marathon competitions.
In her first marathon, Lokedi stayed with the front group before separating herself in the latter stages to win in 2:23:23.
Ethiopian world champion Gotytom Gebreslase came in third, and Israeli Lonah Chemtai Salpeter placed second overall in 2:23:30.
For the first time since the COVID-19 epidemic, the final big marathon of the year was fully populated, with 50,000 racers taking to the streets and thousands of spectators lining the course to support them.
It was among the hottest race-day conditions ever, replacing the typically cool and crisp New York fall weather with heat that hovered about 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22.2 degrees Celsius).
A nearly two-minute advantage had been built up by the 25-kilometer point when the Swiss Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race, tying the New York record. Hug then broke the tape in a course record 1:25:26 to win his fifth major championship of 2022.