Buffalo Marathon 2015 Results: Men and Women's Top Finishers

The Buffalo Marathon has long been known for its flat surface and fast times. On Sunday, Kiplingat Tisia and Hirut Guangul took advantage of the course more than anyone in history.

Tisia and Guangul each set course records en route to taking the men's and women's divisions, respectively, at the 2015 Buffalo Marathon. Tisia ran the course in 2:15:59, breaking the course record by more than a minute.

Of course, it was Tisia who held that record in the first place. A Kenyan who has made his home locally in Rochester, Tisia has become a dominant fixture in the Buffalo race. After taking home the 2014 marathon in just over two hours and 17 minutes, he came back with a vengeance Sunday, galloping ahead of the pack and earning a relatively easy victory.

Phillip Lagat, a Kentucky resident, finished the race in second place, more than five minutes behind Tisia. Richard Kessio, Jacob Krolick and Geoffrey Kiprotich round out the top five. Six of the top 10 finishers reside in New York. 

Place	Runner	Time
1	Tisia Kiplangat	2:15:59
2	Philip Lagat	2:21:12
3	Richard Kessio	2:21:42
4	Jacob Krolick	2:25:43
5	Geoffrey Kiprotich	2:26:52

While impressive to repeat, one could easily argue that Guangul's day was among the best in Buffalo Marathon history. Her time of 2:39:01 shattered the previous women's record by more than three minutes. She has previously won the Quad Cities Marathon and Marine Corps Marathon, among others. 

Guangul's finishing time was nearly 20 minutes better than second-place Kristen Tamburrino. Muliye Gurmu, Sophie Goobic and Aimee Patel rounded out the top five for the women's side. Unlike on the men's side, there were a number of other states represented near the top. Though New Yorkers were four of the top 10, four other states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts and Connecticut) and one province (Ontario) comprised the field. 

Place	Runner	Time
1	Hirut Guangul	2:39:01
2	Nicole Chui	3:14:19
3	Jenny Fiscus	3:16:48
4	Carly Page	3:17:12
5	Mary Aldridge	3:11:50

Breaking the course record earned Tisia and Guangul a bonus of $2,000, per Budd Bailey of the Buffalo News. That number doubles their respective prizes altogether to $4,000 apiece. 

One of the youngest major marathons on the U.S. calendar, the Buffalo Marathon has seen exponential growth since its 2001 inception. Once a low-fi event that was barely a blip on the radar, this year's event was expected to draw more than 7,000 participants and many more watching the runners on the street.

“I’m very excited. The committee has worked very hard to make this happen. Buffalo’s a great city and they deserve it,” Greg Weber, the race director of the Buffalo Marathon said, per Brittni Smallwood of News 4. 

Appropriate considering its relationship with Memorial Day, the Buffalo Marathon also expanded its relationship with the military in 2015. Team RWB, a nonprofit running group that helps reintegrate veterans into their community, launched a relationship with the marathon this year. Some runners competed in the relay portion of the event, while others took part in all 26 miles—all while carrying the U.S. flag.

"I'm here for the comradery and to wave the flag and to really take a minute and think in my heart about all the men and women who have died for their country," Dave James, a Team RWB member, told Erica Brecher of WGRZ.com.

All told, it was a successful day for everyone involved in the event. Tisia and Guangul continued the competitive push of the race with dominant performances, a number of great charities were helped and the city of Buffalo continued its rise in distance running.

The race's official website listed every event as being sold out this weekend, the first time that's happened, according to Lauren Hall of News 4. Given the success of Sunday's race, odds are it won't be the last.