New York Marathon Results 2014: Men's and Women's Winners, Top Times and More

Over 50,000 people finished the 2014 New York City Marathon, but two names stand out from the crowd after a wild, wonderful day of running in the Big Apple.

Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany of Kenya finished first in the men's and women's divisions, respectively. Keitany defeated Jemima Sumgong, also from Kenya, by a mere three seconds. Kipsang didn't have much more breathing room than Keitany, as he crossed the finish line just seven seconds ahead of Leslie Desisa.

This was Kipsang's first attempt at the New York City Marathon, making this a truly remarkable performance. Then again, Keitany won despite not having competed in a marathon since the 2012 Olympics in London, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, so there is some perspective to be had.

Here is a look at the top 10 finishers in both the men's and women's divisions, along with a few of the best from the wheelchair and handcycle divisions.

Men's
Women's
Wheelchair
Handcycle
Place	Finisher	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
6	Geoffrey Mutai	2:13:44	Kenya
7	Masato Imai	2:14:36	Japan
8	Peter Cheruiyot Kirui	2:14:51	Kenya
9	Ryan Vail	2:51:08	United States
10	Nick Arciniaga	2:51:39	United States
Place	Finisher	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
6	Rkia El Moukim	2:28:12	Morocco
7	Firehiwot Dado	2:28:36	Ethiopia
8	Valeria Straneo	2:29:24	Italy
9	Buzunesh Deba	2:31:40	United States
10	Annie Bersagel	2:33:02	Norway
Place	Finisher	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	Finisher	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

It's easy to get wrapped up in the superhuman endurance feats exhibited by the 26 names above, but the New York City Marathon is also a special event for just how many people participate who aren't necessarily searching for racing glory.

The intermingling of high-caliber athletes and legions of citizens running in the spirit of self-improvement makes any major marathon a truly special and unique event. In some way, it bridges the divide between athletes and spectators.

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

The 2014 edition of the marathon turned out to be the largest in the event's history. A grand total of 50,564 people finished the race, per Brian Dalek of Runner's World (h/t ESPN.com). This is an incremental, and yet monumental, increase over last year, when 50,266 people finished the race, per the official website.

Of course, not every one of those competitors is anonymous. Indeed, some extra attention will always go to the celebrities and athletes taking part in this major public event. Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki garnered plenty of attention for her participation.

ESPN noted she was greeted by friend and occasional tennis foe Serena Williams at the finish line:

It's no easy feat making waves on the ATP Tour and training for a full-on marathon. In fact, the latter may truly be more difficult in Wozniacki's opinion.

"This was the toughest physical test I've ever (had). It's so hard. You have to keep going, keep going. Once I got onto First Avenue, I had a camera crew following me the whole day, so I couldn't walk. I had to keep running," she said, per USA Today's Nicole Auerbach.

Wozniacki's run is certainly noteworthy, but if there is one thing that shows she was just like everyone else in the field, it's her cold-weather attire. Nobody was immune to the whipping winds and stinging cold in the Big Apple on Sunday. The marathon's official Twitter account provided an update on the conditions at the beginning of the race:

It might've been better than a heatwave, and certainly the fierce wind helped to wick sweat away from the body. However, the frigid weather wasn't something to solely be dealt with physically; there is a mental aspect to the cold as well, especially for the elite runners.

Geoffrey Mutai, winner of the 2012 and 2013 NYC Marathons, noted that many racers were reluctant to move out in front and push the pace.

“It was more tactical because you find that all through, no one was really ready to take the lead because of the strong wind," he said, via ESPN.com's Brianne Mirecki. "From the start, I was really feeling very strong. I thought about taking off, but I saw it was too early for me. So I had to really exercise a lot of patience in this race.”

Mutai would finish the race in sixth place.

Kipsang's race, especially his duel with Desisa down the stretch, was quite impressive. Any good marathoner has endurance, strength and smarts. But when slogging through 26.2 miles of a Five Boroughs tour, motivation might be more important than any of those other factors.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Kipsang wasn't afraid to admit there was a financial impetus to go along with the usual competitive impulses. He needed first place to win the World Marathon Majors title and its $500,000 bonus reward.

"Yes, of course I was thinking,” he said, via Lynn Zinser of The New York Times. “The only chance for me to win the jackpot was to win this race. That’s why I was feeling very strong and I was trying to apply all the tactics to make sure that I win."

Keitany had plenty to think about in her first full marathon in over two years. Marathoner Paula Radcliffe noted she worked hard to shake off competitors who were looking to draft:

Sumgong was on her mind as they pulled away from the pack and ran neck-and-neck down the stretch. Via Lewis:

"

Towards the end, after 40 kilometers, I knew Jemima was there. I thought to close the gap with Jemima, and I’d see if I would go or she would go. When I was a few kilometers away, I just closed the gap, and I see if I go I might win the race. So I just tried my best and go ahead of Jemima, and it was God’s will to end like that.

"

Keitany would eventually edge ahead and take the race by a mere three seconds, proving the battle is just as mental as it is physical.

The New York City Marathon's conditions brought plenty of attention to the tactical side of marathons. These extreme footraces may lack the obvious intricacy of some other individual and team sports, but it's worth noting these well-conditioned athletes aren't just pounding the pavement but constantly calibrating and recalibrating their positioning, pacing and technique.

It's not just about having a long stride or sinewy muscles. These athletes deserve credit and attention for the unique training and work done in preparation for each competition. Just make sure to first give them credit for finishing.