


	DATE: First Sunday in November LOCATION: The Five Boroughs of New York City The Marathon In 1970, a few hundred runners met in Central Park to race 26.2 miles in the first ever New York City Marathon. On October 24, 1976, only 2,090 competitors, including Olympians Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter, ran across the Verrazano Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn, through neighborhoods in Queens and the Bronx, and into Manhattan to culminate the inaugural five borough New York City Marathon. Since then, the race has grown to become the most well known marathon in the entire world. On Sunday, November 5, 2000 over 30,000 athletes from around the globe participated in the new millennium's first edition of the New York City Marathon. Including a wheelchair division for the first time in the race's history, and with more than 100 countries represented at the race, the New York City Marathon served as a reminder of the cultural and ethnic diversity that makes up the Big Apple. What always makes this competitive race so unique is that the New York City Marathon includes every level of competition. From Olympic, world-class athletes, to the average New Yorker that runs in their spare time, the Marathon creates an atmosphere that makes even the slowest runner right at home. To learn more about the New York City Marathon and view the winners from each year, please visit our Marathon History Page.

2006 ING NYC Marathon Recap

Nearly 38,000 runners from more than 100 countries and all 50 states crossed the finish line in this year’s 37th running of the ING New York City Marathon. In a surprising turn of events, relatively unknown Brazilian runner Marilson Gomes dos Santos outlasted a talented men’s field to win the marathon with a time of 2:09:58. Defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka became the first woman to repeat as champion since 1995, winning the women’s race with a time of 2:25:05.

The men’s race included one of the strongest fields ever compiled for the ING New York City Marathon. 2005 champion and world-record holder Paul Tergat headlined a field that included 2005 runner-up and 2004 champion Hendrick Ramaala and Olympic gold medalist Stefano Baldini. However, it was a lesser-known Brazilian runner named Marilson Gomes dos Santos who stole the show and upset all the pre-race favorites. Gomes dos Santos, who has never won a marathon, exhibited the courage and dedication necessary to conquer a field of marathon heavyweights. The Brazilian became the first South American to win the race and the first non-Kenyan to win the race since 1996. Stephan Kiogora finished in second place, edging out Kenyan countryman Paul Tergat. World-record holder Stefano Baldini finished in sixth and Hendrick Ramaala finished ninth. Peter Gilmore of San Mateo, California was the fastest American, finishing in 10th place with a time of 2:13:13.

The women’s field was also stacked with impressive athletes. Defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka, four-time Boston Marathon winner Catherine Ndereba, American marathon record-holder and London Marathon winner Deena Kastor and Rome Marathon winner Tatiana Hladyr were amongst the many accomplished women participating in this year’s race. Prokopcuka, after three break-away attempts, was finally able to pull away from the field to win her second consecutive ING New York City Marathon with a time of 2:25:05. Prokopcuka became the first back-to-back champion since Tegla Loroupe in 1995. Tatiana Hladyr (Ukraine) and Catherine Ndereba (Kenya) finished in second and third place, respectively. The top American racer, Deena Kastor, finished in sixth place registering a time of 2:27:54.

The men’s and women’s wheelchair races also provided excitement for the millions of fans lined up to cheer on the racers. Approximately halfway through the race, Kurt Fearnley ran into a pothole that caused his chair to flip onto its side. Fortunately, Fearnley was not injured or separated from his chair, and was up and going in three seconds. Despite the tumble, Fearnley won the race with a record time of 1:29:22. Defending champion Ernst Van Dyke finished strong in fifth place. 20-year old Amanda McGrory won the women’s race with a time of 1:54:19. Local racer, Ali Bergstrom finished first amongst the handcyclists in 1:21:57.

In what has become an enjoyable side note to the ING New York City Marathon, several celebrities were amongst the over 38,000 runners looking to complete the endurance race. The most notable was seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong who was racing to raise awareness for cancer research. Armstrong turned in a time of 2:59:36, narrowly achieving his personal goal of breaking 3 hours. Other notable entrants included former Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller, celebrity chef Bobby Flay, former Rangers star Adam Graves, “Today” show correspondent Natalie Morales and Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

2005 ING NYC Marathon Recap

Marathon spectators could not have asked for a more beautiful day to watch the more than 37,000 valiant competitors complete the 26.2 mile ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6th. The field was the largest ever and with temperatures in the mid-50’s by the time the women’s field started at 9:35 am., the imposing heat weighed heavily on the runners, effecting even the most prominent athletes in each field.

Despite the warm conditions, each of the races proved exciting for the millions of fans in attendance and the millions more tuned in around the world. The men’s race lived up to the hype surrounding the star-studded field as the epic 26.2 mile struggle between world record holder Paul Tergat of Kenya and 2004 ING New York City Marathon winner Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa was decided by the slimmest victory margin in the history of the race. The two athletes’ neck-and-neck battle throughout the race was decided when Tergat surged ahead in the last few yards to capture the victory by a mere .32 seconds (official times were 2:09:30 and 2:09:31, respectively). American hopeful Meb Keflezighi placed third and was the only other competitor to break the 2:10 mark with his 2:09:56 finishing time.

In the women’s race, Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia provided a stunning performance, outlasting a talent-laden field to capture her first ING New York City Marathon win. The emerging Latvian star, competing in just her fifth major marathon, came from behind in the 25th mile to defeat Susan Chepkemei of Kenya who finished in second-place for the second consecutive year (2:24:55). Prokopcuka finished with a time of 2:24:41 and earned a record $160,000 in prize money for the win.

As expected, the men’s and women’s wheelchair races provided unbelievable times, which included men’s winner Ernst Van Dyk’s course record of 1:31:11. The South African native was joined by Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, who entered the race as the favorite following her course record-setting performance last year, in the winner’s circle. Hunkeler did not disappoint, adding another stunning performance to her resume with a time of 1:54:52.

The ING New York City Marathon field included 28 athletes from the armed forces who competed through the Achilles Track Club Freedom Team. Of the field, all 28 finished in truly inspirational fashion. Runners from more than 125 nations competed in the 2005 race which once again brought New Yorkers from all five boroughs together in a celebration of human will and determination.

2004 ING NYC Marathon Results
Women's Race

Last year’s women’s race was highlighted by Margaret Okayo’s course record (2:22:31). This year’s race was slated to be equally exciting, as the women’s field was considered to be one of the best ever in New York City Marathon history. Among the many elite female competitors were 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medallist Deena Kastor and Margaret Okayo, the defending champion. Another addition to the remarkable pool was late entrant Paula Radicliffe, the marathon world-record holder, who decided to run just weeks prior to the marathon.

The race started out fast and the lead pack reached the half-marathon split in 1:10:51. Through mile 26, Radcliffe and Kenya’s Susan Chepkemei were tied for the lead. In the last two-tenths of a mile, Radcliffe dug in for a final surge that propelled her to the finish line 4 seconds ahead of Chepkemei. Radcliffe is the first non-Kenyan woman to win the ING NYC Marathon since 2000 and her win also marks the tightest victory in ING NYC Marathon history. This was Radcliffe’s first race since she dropped out of both the Marathon and 10,000-meter races in the Athens Olympic Games this past summer. Although her first ever ING NYC Marathon victory (2:23:10) was nearly 8 minutes slower than her world record time, Radcliffe showed that she was ready to put the disappointment of Athens behind her and regain her winning ways. Deena Kastor who was running her third marathon of the year, dropped out at mile 16 due to leg cramping. The top US finisher was Jenny Crain of Wisconsin who finished 15th overall with a time of 2:41:06.

The women’s push-rim wheelchair race was also close. Switzerland’s Edith Hunkeler was victorious in her marathon debut, edging out Sandra Graf--also from Switzerland and competing in her first marathon--by just ten seconds. Hunkeler’s time of 1:53:37 was well under last year’s course-record (1:59:30). In the women’s handcycle race Angelique Simons of the Netherlands won in 1:50:02.

Men's Race

Going into the men’s race there were no clear favorites, and with last year’s champion, Martin Lel, not running, there was no chance of a repeat winner. Americans hoped that 2004 Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi might become the first American since Alberto Salazar to win the ING NYC Marathon. At the half-marathon split, Keflezighi was still in the company of the dense lead pack, surrounded by many African runners. The lead pack remained together until around mile 19 when Kenya’s Timothy Cherigat and Enos Kibet Ketter and South Africa’s Hendrik Ramaala were able to break ahead of the field. Following close behind were Keflezighi and Christopher Cheboiboch (Kenya). Keflezighi was determined not to fall behind and surged ahead with the leaders at mile 24. At mile 25, Ramaala began to pull away and maintained his lead for the remainder of the race, finishing with a time of 2:09:28 for his first ING NYC Marathon victory. Keflezighi crossed the finish line 25 seconds later to capture second place.

It was an exciting day for American athletes with disabilities as they took 1st and 2nd in the men’s push-rim wheelchair race. 2001 champion Saul Mendoza (1:33:16) beat out the defending champion and course record-holder Krige Schabort (1:33:16) of Georgia. Australia’s Todd Philpott (1:17:12) won the men’s handcycle race, finishing well ahead of second place finisher Theo Greeve of the Netherlands (1:34:36).

ING Run for Something Better

Created to support New York Road Runners’ core mission—to promote health and fitness in the local and international running communities—the ING Run for Something Better also reflects ING’s desire to support and enhance the sport of running. Now in its second year, the program features four elite athletes - each representing a different New York City park.

Deena Kastor (USA), Lornah Kiplagat (NED), Madai Perez (MEX) and 2004 World Cross Country champion Benita Johnson (AUS) will compete to win the marathon while raising money to improve their chosen city park, and for their individual hometowns. Funding will be awarded based on each athlete’s finishing place.

For the second year in a row Lornah Kiplagat won the ING Run for Something Better competition with a 7th place finish in the ING NYC Marathon. Kiplagat’s park, the East River Park in Manhattan, will receive financial support that will provide improvements to the facilities. Madai Perez (Keith L. Williams Park, Queens) finished second in the competition, and Benita Johnson (Macomb’s Dam Park, Bronx) third. Deena Kastor (Corporeal Thompson Park, Staten Island) was the fourth participant in the ING Run for Something Better.

For more information about the ING NYC Marathon, volunteering and cheering stations, please visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.

Kenya Repeats in 2003
Kenyans again dominated the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2, with Margaret Okayo smashing the course record, Martin Lel winning his first marathon ever, and seven of the top ten men and four of the top ten women finishers hailing from Kenya. Okayo won the New York race for the second time, shattering her 2001 course record by nearly two minutes, crossing the finish line in 2:22 .31 seconds. Reigning world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was second among the women in 2:23.04, followed by Lornah Kiplagat, a native Kenyan who became a Dutch citizen this year, in 2:23.43. Both women also beat the previous course record of 2:24.21.

Nine runners were bunched through the first half of the race, including Okayo, Kiplagat, former winner Ludmila Petrova, Ndereba and 2002 NYC Marathon winner Joyce Chepchumba. Okayo, Kiplagat and Petrova pulled away from the front-runners at the 17-mile mark. With Kiplagat opening a small lead over Okayo, Ndereba passed Petrova for third. Okayo overtook Kiplagat for first and cruised to victory.

Lel was timed in 2:10:30. Defending champion Rodgers Rop of Kenya was second among the men in 2:11:11 and countryman Christopher Cheboiboch was third in 2:11:23. Through the first 18 miles, Lel, Rop, Cheboiboch, Laban Kipkemboi and Elly Rono led the way. Then Rop and Lel emerged as the front-runners and were side-by-side with a few miles to go. Lel surged ahead in the final mile.

The top American man, Matt Downin of Bloody Brook, N.H., finished in 17th place with a time of 2:18:48. The best U.S. woman was Sylvia Mosqueda of Los Angeles in 10th place at 2:33:11. Marla Runyan, who finished fourth in New York last year and fifth in Boston this year, was among the early leaders. But she tangled with Ndereba at a water station between miles 7 and 8 and fell behind and ended up finishing 20th.

In the push-rim wheelchair division, Krige Schabort of South Africa won his second straight NYC Marathon in 1:32.20, breaking his old mark of 1:38.27 that he set last year. On the women's side, American Cheri Blauwet also won for the second consecutive year in a course record 1:59.30. In the hand-crank division, Helene Hines won her fourth consecutive NYC Marathon in 1:49:13. Bogdan Krol of Poland won the men's division in 1:33:07 after finishing second in 2000 and 2001. Last year he finished in fourth place.

Click on the camera to view pictures from last year's event.

Click on the camera above to see pictures from the 2003 ING NYC Marathon.

Kenya Believe the 2002 NYC Marathon!?!
One day after the USOC selected New York City as the United States Candidate City, the "World's Second Home" hosted the 33rd running of the world's most famous marathon. Nearly 32,000 runners, over 11,000 from foreign countries, participated in what proved to be an historic event.

Kenyan Rodgers Rop became only the fourth man to win the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon in the same year as he cruised to a decisive win in 2:08.07, the third fastest time ever run on this course. He also led a Kenyan sweep of the top three spots. The last country to pull off this feat was the United States in 1975. Rop entered Manhattan in a pack with countryman Christopher Cheboiboch, and first-time marathoner American Meb Keflezighi. Slightly off the pace was Kenyan Laban Kipkemboi. Keflezighi hit the wall in the Bronx and the three Kenyans battled into Manhattan. Rop slowly pulled away while Cheboiboch finished ten seconds behind in 2:08:17 and Kipkemboi finished in 3rd with a time of 2:08:39. Keflezighi finished 9th overall in 2:12:35.

Kenyan Joyce Chepchumba completed the sweep of the top spots by winning the women's race in 2:25:56. Chepchumba and second place finisher Luybov Denisova battled it out until the Kenyan busted a 5:18 split in the 23rd mile to break away from the Russian. Yugoslavia's Olivera Jevtic recovered from a spill to finish 3rd in a Yugoslavian national record of 2:26:44. Perhaps the most spectacular story of the day was the 5th place finish by legally blind Marla Runyan. The American, running in her first marathon covered the course in 2:27:10.

Record-Setting Day in 2001 NYC Marathon
On Sunday, November 4th, 2001, the 32nd New York City Marathon was the stage for records to be broken as well as the stage for New Yorkers to show their resiliency. Thirty thousand racers took part in the largest marathon in the world, showing off our nation's colors and support for those that are rebuilding the city. As for the race, it was Ethiopia's Tesfaye Jifar who broke the tape with the fastest time in course history (2:07.43). Jifar, who had never run a marathon until three years ago and is blind in one eye, ran as if this course was his normal morning route. Jifar broke Tanzanian Juma Ikangaa's 1989 record of 2:08.01 and earned $130,000 ($80,000 for first place and $50,000 for the record) and a new car for his efforts. On the women's side of the race, Kenya's Margaret Okayo broke the women's record of 2:24.40 set in 1992 with a time of 2:24.21. Because of a course change-an incline that was no longer part of the race-Okayo shaved 44 seconds off of her best personal time. Okayo earned $115,000 and a new car for her efforts and, like her male counterpart, a place in the NYC Marathon record books.

2001 Wheelchair Division
On a day where records were broken among those competing in the NYC Marathon, the wheelchair divisions did not disappoint. This is the second year that both wheelchair divisions, push-rim and hand-cycle, have been recognized. This was also the first year in which prize money was awarded to the winners. In the push-rim division, Saul Mendoza of Texas won the men's group with a time of 1:39.30, fourteen minutes faster than last year's winner. Francesca Porcellato of Italy won the women's division by finishing in 2:08.51. In the hand-cycle division, the men's group winner was the first person overall to cross the finish line in the 2001 NYC Marathon. Ziv Bar-Shira of Israel established a course record of 1:27.49. Helene Hines of Lido Beach, N.Y., won her second consecutive women's title by finishing in 1:46.21, eleven minutes faster than her time from last year.

El Mouaziz and Petrova Win 2000 Marathon
On Sunday, November 5th, 2000, Moroccan Abdelkhader El Mouaziz and Russian Ludmila Petrova won the Men's and Women's titles in the 31st running of the New York City Marathon. El Mouaziz, the men's winner, finished in a time of 2:10:09, an amazing 2 minutes and 21 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. El Mouaziz pulled away from the pack at the 13th mile mark and never looked back. While registering blistering mile times throughout the marathon, he was able to improve upon his lead all the way to the finish. Ludmila Petrova, the women's top finisher, registered a time of 2:25:45, 18 seconds ahead of the runner up. She is the first Russian, man or woman to win the New York City Marathon. Both winners, in fact, were the first winners from their respective countries as El Mouaziz was the first Moroccan winner in the race's history.
Click on the camera above to see pictures from the 2000 NYC Marathon.

For detailed information on participating and
viewing the race, please visit the ING NYC Marathon Website.

Last Updated On: Tuesday, September 25, 2007



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