2023 TCS New York City Marathon

The first man under 2:05 on the NY Course.

The 2:05 barrier has been broken for the 1st time as Tola got a much deserved dominant win in 2:04:58. He won by nearly two minutes. Futsum Zienasellassie was the top American in 10th in 2:12:09.

Obiri was the first woman to win Boston and NY in the same year since 1989.

Obiri has won after running the last mile in an unofficial 4:52. Kellyn Taylor takes top American honors in 7th.

Tola just ran over 5 minutes for the 24th mile but it is one of the hillier miles on the course. The women ran 5:19 for mile 24 after running 5:04 for 23.

Can we all appreciate that Tamirat Tola is on 2:03:59 pace at 35k (1:42:51)!!!!

He looks poised to destroy the 2:05:06 course record held by Geoffrey Mutai.

Viola Cheptoo (Bernard Lagat's sister) ran a 5:04 mile to open up the women's race at mile 23. 5 somen's still together. 

Tola looks to have the men's race wrapped up but 23rd mile for him was 4:50 which was slower than the 4:40s before it.

Check out Tola's 5k splits:

https://www.letsrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/tola-5k-scaled.jpg

If they women didn't pick it up, we could have the lead men pass them as there was 25 minute difference at the start. But the women should fly the last 10k. Teh women are entering the Bronx before the return home.

Tamirat Tola and Jemal Yimer are cruising up 1st ave.

HALF: 62:45 Kitata 5 seconds back of the five-man lead pack
Mile 14: 4:43. Now Nageeye falling back.
Mile 15:
25K: 1:14:15. 2:05:19 pace. Now down to 3: Korir, Tola, and Yimer as Talbi is falling back 
Mile 16: Tola and Yimer dropping Korir. Tola looks great>
Course record is in jeopardy.

Yimer has run 5 marathon, 3rd in Boston in 2021 and won LA this year. Most known for his all around success. 4th at World XC, 4th at World Half. But he hasn't had as much success as Tola at anything. Tola got 10k bronze at Rio Olympics, won Worlds in the marathon in 2022, got silver in 2017,  and won Amsterdam in 2021.

Edward Cheserek is in 7th in his marathon debut at 63:30. SHockingly, North American record holder Cam Levins has dropped out before halfway!

A lead pack of 11 - including everyone of note - hit halfway in a pedestrian 74:21. Margaret Okayo's CR is 2:22:31 so they'll need to run a 68:10 second half to get that.

The women hit 15k in 52:29 (25 seconds slower than in 2021 when they nearly go the course record).

Then they ran 5:43, 5:45 for miles 10 and 11. 5:44 for mile 12. All you need to know is Molly Huddle was leading at 11.  

20k split is 70:20. In 2021 they split 68:59 so they're now 1:21 down.

***

Former champ Albert Korir started pushing the pace and mile 8 was 4:40 and mile 9 unofficial 4:30. That made the pack just 5 with it being Korir, former World champ Tamirat Tola, half marathon ace Jemal Yimer,  NAIA star Zouhair Ralbi and Olympic medallist Abdi Nageeye.

Cam Levins and Edward Cheserek are the 1st chasers.

Not a lot going on. The pace in both races is cautious but that is par for the course in NY.  The women's course record very easily could fall.

They split 34:35 at 10k today. In 2021, when Peres Jepchirchir missed the course record by 8 seconds the split was 35:02.

The pro women are off. We will post some updates on this event page but the best place to follow is the live forum thread here .