NEW YORK — It was a remarkable moment two years in the making: Kenya's Albert Korir won the New York City Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 22 seconds, two years after finishing second in the men’s race.
“We tried to push. You have to,” Korir said. "This was just good, the weather was good. We tried to push it, I tried to push it.”
What You Need To Know
- Thirty thousand runners participated in the 2021 New York City Marathon, compared to 53,000 in 2019
- Last year’s race was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
- Albert Korir and Peres Jepchirchir came in first place in the men’s and women’s races, respectively
Peres Jepchirchir, meanwhile, brought home the gold for the women’s race with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds. It was her first time running this marathon, and it came a few months after she won Olympic gold.
“After I [won the] Olympic marathon, I was not expecting to win,” Jepchirchir said. “I prepared well, the time was short, I tried my best to complete my workouts, my preparations. I’m so happy today in the city of New York.”
The 50th anniversary came after the pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s marathon. In a city rocked by COVID-19, where more than 34,000 New Yorkers lost their lives to the virus, this year’s race came back with a bang and a strong show of solidarity.
“I think it’s electric. Not to sound cliche, but it is," said Grant Conarchy, who joined spectators lined up along the streets of Greenpoint in Brooklyn to cheer on a friend running the 26.2 mile race. "Everyone’s cheering on everyone. It’s amazing."
“Any event in the last year, in the last couple months, that’s allowed people to go outside their house and actually resume some form of normalcy just feels insanely special and surreal, but also natural," Conarchy added.
Volunteers also came out in full force, handing out water at the 12-mile mark.
“It’s an adrenaline rush, first of all. Just to see the speed that they’re coming past. And also really gratifying and a lot of fun,” said Colleen Grant, who decided to volunteer for the first time this year.
Thousands of spectators got in on the fun Sunday, cheering on loved ones as they ran through all five boroughs.
“My daughter and my son run, and we’ve been here for five, six years already,” Queens resident Jonathan Alonso said. “We enjoy running and watching the marathon.”
But nothing quite compares to the feeling that comes with cross that finish line in Central Park.
“I've never finished with such great, positive energy, and just feeling so good. It was so fun,” said Nev Schulman, producer and host of MTV’s Catfish.
He said this beloved event was a reminder of what makes New York, New York.
“It’s my fifth marathon, but not running last year, and this being the 50th, it felt so great," he said. "Just to see New York City back on the streets cheering. Another reminder why this is the best city in the world.”