New York Marathon Results 2014: Men and Women's Winners and Latest Comments
The basic unit of marathons simply has to be the hour. It's because of the countless hours of training, for the wave of endorphins when a runner breaks out of the five-hour group and into the four-hour scrum. The word "hour" closely follows the first number reported in any serious competitor's final time.
And yet, with so many elite runners among the thousands of men and women racing in the 2014 New York City Marathon on Nov. 2, the most important unit of time was not hours, but seconds.
Mary Keitany of Kenya finished as the top women's runner with a time of two hours, 25 minutes and seven seconds. Her breathtaking time was just three seconds better than fellow Kenyan Jemima Sumgong, the runner-up. The narrow margin between the two competitors tied for the closest finish ever, per NBC Sports' Nick Zaccardi.
"I worked hard for this opportunity," Keitany said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I'm happy because I have a victory today, because I know I've been coming to New York two times, and I was in that position. So I'm happy today because it was a good day and I win."
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Wilson Kipsang was the top men's finisher and had just seven seconds to himself at the finish line before the next runner, Lelisa Desisa, crossed. Kipsang's grimace during the excruciating final leg of the race gave way to a megawatt smile once he finally secured victory.
There were also close finishes in the wheelchair and handcycle divisions of this famous race. Here is a look at the top times from the marathon.
| Place | Name | Time | Country |
| 1 | Wilson Kipsang | 2:10:59 | Kenya |
| 2 | Lelisa Desisa Benti | 2:11:06 | Ethiopia |
| 3 | Gebre Gebremariam | 2:12:13 | Ethiopia |
| 4 | Meb Keflezighi | 2:13:18 | United States |
| 5 | Stephen Kiprotich | 2:13:25 | Uganda |
| Place | Name | Time | Country |
| 1 | Mary Keitany | 2:25:07 | Kenya |
| 2 | Jemima Sumgong | 2:25:10 | Kenya |
| 3 | Sara Moreira | 2:26:00 | Portugal |
| 4 | Jelena Prokopcuka | 2:26:15 | Latvia |
| 5 | Desiree Linden | 2:28:11 | United States |
| Place | Name | Time | Country |
| 1 | Kurt Fearnley | 1:30:55 | Australia |
| 2 | Ernst van Dyk | 1:30:56 | South Africa |
| 3 | Tomasz Hamerlak | 1:30:56 | Poland |
| Place | Name | Time | Country |
| 1 | Alfredo De Los Santos | 1:17:28 | United States |
| 2 | Ludovic Narce | 1:17:28 | France |
| 3 | Stephane Massard | 1:24:53 | France |
The superlative performances were made all the more surprising, by the frigid, blustery conditions. ESPN's Buster Olney relayed some of the stats:
Indeed, these powerful men and women did not jog gently into that cold race. They took it head-on, with fierce determination.
Kipsang's performance at the 2014 New York Marathon is yet another chapter in a sterling career. He won the 2013 Berlin Marathon and the 2014 London Marathon, two of the more prestigious competitions in the world. He also had to beat out the likes of Meb Keflezighi—an American and winner in 2009—and Geoffrey Mutai, the two-time defending champion of The Big Apple's marathon.
Kipsang's battle with Desisa, which came down to the final few of many thousands of steps, was won with a late burst of energy from a very deep reserve.
"I didn’t see him because he was coming from behind,” Kipsang said, via The New York Times' Lynn Zinser. “Then I decided now to sprint because I saw the finish was very close and the speed was very high. So when he gave me more space, then I would sprint."
Keflezighi, who worked extremely hard to try earn a victory for the host country, expressed great respect for Kispang after the race, noting the winner's ability to deal with the harsh conditions.
"The race was deep, strong, windy and tactical,” he said, via Zinser. “When it is tactical, may the best man or woman win, and he did today.”
Kipsang's NYC win also earned him a $500,000 bonus as a reward for capturing the World Marathon Majors title, per Zinser.
Keitany's victory is all the more impressive considering she hasn't competed in a marathon since the London Olympics. Still, Competitor.com editor Mario Fraioli noted she was able to pull out the victory over a game Sumgong thanks to her incredible shape and a wealth of running experience:
The Kenyan champions' lung-busting races were indeed fraught with drama, but they might pale in comparison to the mad burst to the finish line that allowed Kurt Fearnley to win the wheelchair division by half a second. As Newsday's John Jeansonne notes, Fearnley moved from fifth place to first in a tight group that stayed incredibly close over the final 50 yards.
He called it "the most interesting wheelchair race that I've ever been involved in," per Jeansonne.
He may not get as much attention as the likes of Kipsang or Keitany, but Fearnley is no less deserving of accolades and adulation, as the win on Sunday was the fifth of his career in New York.
Much attention is paid to the winners of this venerable competition, but it's worth noting that thousands of people compete and complete the race rather anonymously. Part of the charm of a big marathon is that it brings together elite athletes and regular civilians in the spirit of competition.
A staggering 50,266 people finished the competition in 2013, and NBCNews.com expected just as many for 2014. That is to say nothing of the thousands of onlookers cheering on the competitors through the teeth-chattering cold, lending support from start to finish.
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