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A Race Like No Other
The 48th Running of the New York City Marathon - The Women's Race [photos will be added soon]
by John Elliott
2017 Recap - The Top Three
We should start this article about the 2018 New York City Marathon by brieflly recapping the 2017 race. In 2017, Mary Keitany arrived as the heavy favorite. Throughout that 2017 Marathon, three women raced each other to the finish, but ultimately Mary Keitany had to settle for runner-up status a minute behind winner Shalane Flanagan. Just behind Keitany, Mamitu Dask finished third. With these three women returning for the 2018 race, many were predicting a reprise of that race and/or at least giving those three high prospects for landing on the podium.
photo: Victah Sailer/PhotoRun
Gudeta and Tusa Lead Mary Keitany across the 59th Street Bridge
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Ethiopians Push the Pace
As often happens at the New York City Marathon, particularly in the women's race, the opening miles were passed in a leisurely fashion. Halfway through the race - in 1:15:49 - there were nine runners in the lead pack. Doing the math, it is easy to see that was slow 1:15:49 + 1:15:49 = 2:31:38, but the NYC Marathon hasn't had a winning time slower than 2:31 since 1977, so that pace made no sense... Going into mile 14 the pace increased a bit. And into mile 15, two Ethiopian women, working together, started to open up the race: Rahma Tusa and Netsanet Gudeta threw down a 5:08 mile and continued that pace into the next uphill mile with only Mary Keitany joining the group. And then it was a race of three women.
The pace continued to quicken from mile 17 in 4:55 and the next two miles sub-5:00... That is really fast. Netsanet Gudeta, with her 2:29:15 personal best could not sustain that pace and was the first to fall back at mile 17.5, ultimately dropping out after 23 miles. A few minutes later, Mary Keitany surged on Rahma Tusa - a runner with a 2:27:23 personal best. And ultimately it was Mary Keitany running alone.
photo: Victah Sailer/PhotoRun
Mary Keitany Wins the 2018 New York City Marathon
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Mary Keitany - Truly One of the Best Ever
After losing in 2017, we know Mary Keitany had something to prove. And after a disappointing London Marathon earlier in 2018, Mary Keitany really had something to prove. And prove it she did, by winning the race in 2:22:48, the second fastest time ever run in New York.
From mile 18, Keitany ran alone - continuing to keep a frenetic pace and eventually winning by 3mins 13secs - the second largest gap between first and second place in the marathon since 1989... second only to the gap in 2016 when Mary Keitany won by 3:35 over Sally Kipyego. And, while Mary Keitany at the halfway mark, was more than 3:40 slower than Margaret Okayo's split at halfway on her course record-setting run of 2003; by the end, Keitany only missed the course record by 17 seconds. She ran the first half of the race in 1:15:49 and ran the second half in 1:06:59; almost nine minutes faster - incredible.
So Mary Keitany proved she is the best of the best and completely made up for finishing "only" second in 2017...
Behind Mary Keitany, Vivian Chreuiyot ran a good and strong race, not being sucked into the incredible pace set by her rivals, but easily running to a second place finish in 2:26:02.
photo: John Elliott/MarathonGuide.com
The Top American Women - Post-Race
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Americans - Great Promise
In the race, Americans did incredibly well - understanding that no one can compete with Mary Keitany on a day like this day.
Shalane Flanagan ran a very strong race, finishing third in 2:26:22; her fastest time in New York and better than her winning time of 2:26:53 the year before. Molly Huddle ran a new personal best to finish in fourth place in 2:26:44 and ran strong to the end. Desiree Linden ran a respectable 2:27:51 for sixth place - although we might have expected a better performance from the Boston Marathon champion. Allie Kieffer rounded out the American presence in the top 10 by running 2:28:12 to finish in seventh place - with a huge negative split of 1:16:34 for the first half and 1:11:38 for the second half, suggesting with better pacing she could still run faster.
These results - strong sub-2:30 performances - by Americans give us hope for both an exciting Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying period and for the future of American women's marathoning...
Top Finishers
1. Mary Keitany (KEN) 2:22:48 - $100,000 + $45,000
2. Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:26:02 - $60,000 + $10,000
3. Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2:26:22 - $40,000 + $10,000 + $25,000
4. Molly Huddle (USA) 2:26:44 - $25,000 + $10,000 + $15,000
5. Rahma Tusa (ETH) 2:27:13 - $15,000
6. Desiree Linden (USA) 2:27:51 - $10,000 + $10,000
7. Allie Kieffer (USA) 2:28:12 - $7,500 + $5,000
8. Lisa Weightman (AUS) 2:29:11 - $5,000
9. Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:30:31 - $2,500
10. Belaynesh Fikadu (ETH) 2:30:47 - $2,000
11. Stephanie Bruce (USA) 2:30:59 - $3,000
12. Roberta Groner (USA) 2:31:01 - $3,000
13. Gerda Steyn (RSA) 2:31:04
14. Carrie Dimoff (USA) 2:31:12
15. Samantha Bluske (USA) 2:32:04
16. Sydney Devore (USA) 2:32:43
17. Brittany Charboneau (USA) 2:36:35
18. Sarah Sellers (USA) 2:36:37
19. Beverly Ramos (PUR) 2:40:58
20. Adriana Aparecida Da Silva (BRA) 2:41:00
21. Angela Ortiz (USA) 2:41:32
22. Eva Vail (USA) 2:42:19
23. Kelsey Bruce (USA) 2:46:38
24. Meseret Ali Basa (ETH) 2:58:06
25. Rafael Oliveira (POR) 2:31:03
Coverage Homepage
Post Race:
Men's Post-Race |
Women's Post-Race
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Women:
Women's Preview & Starter List
Head-to-Heads: Elite Athlete Past Matchups
Extras:
Pace Calculator/Pace Guide/Viewing |
Videos (Athletes/Archival/More...)
More News:
Press Releases |
News (other sources)
Featured Book/Movie:
Run For Your Life |
A Race Like No Other
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