NEW YORK: Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon in 40 years when she claimed a dominant victory over Kenyan three-times champion Mary Keitany on Sunday.

The men’s title went to Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor, who held off countryman Wilson Kipsang.

Flanagan, who had never won a major marathon, clocked an unofficial two hours, 26 minutes 53 seconds for a stunning victory at the age of 36.

Keitany struggled home in 2:27:54 with Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska third in 2:28:08.

Kamworor finished in an unofficial 2:10.53 with Kipsang three seconds behind.

The race was run under heightened security with thousands of police on duty days after a truck-ramming attack killed eight in what authorities described as a terrorist act.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2017