Eventually, it became a habit. Since 2021, Marcel Hug has won each time at the New York marathon, in the wheelchair category. Already winner in 2013, 2016 and 2017, the Thurgau player remained on three consecutive coronations before this year’s edition, which took place this Sunday. His remarkable series ended with the success of the American Daniel Romanchuk, in 1h36’31”. Hug (38 years old) failed at the foot of the podium (4th in 1h40’10”). A slight disappointment for the para-athletics star, whose record is notably topped by 16 Paralympic medals (including 7 gold) and 13 world titles.
Another star of Swiss para-athletics, Manuela Schär (39 years old) climbed onto the podium among the ladies (3rd). The Lucerne woman completed the race in less than two hours (1h59’20”) and crossed the finish line behind the Americans Susannah Scaroni (1h48’05”) and Tatyana McFadden (1h58’47”).
A Swiss woman also stood out among the able-bodied in the person of Fabienne Schlumpf (33 years old). The Zurich resident finished 5th and best European, in 2h26’31”. Thus shattering his Swiss record established in 2022 at the Europeans in Munich (2h30’17”).
First place went to the surprising Sheila Chepkirui (33 years old). The Kenyan won in 2h24’35” after managing to get rid of her compatriot Hellen Obiri (2h24’49”), defending champion and bronze medalist at the Paris Olympic Games this summer, with a final acceleration. “My training was very good, I am very happy. I dug deep within myself on the last mile which was very hard, I pushed to the limit,” Chepkirui explained to ESPN.
Chepkirui took 6th place in the London marathon in the spring, after shining last year in Berlin with a 2nd place in 2h17’49”.
The men’s draw also produced an unexpected winner with the Dutchman Abdi Nageeye (35 years old). Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo in 2021, behind Eliud Kipchoge, he also won the first major victory of his career after finishing 3rd in New York in 2022. “I felt so good, I was super focused. The Olympics were very hard for me (editor’s note: abandonment in Paris), a big disappointment. Few people believed in me but I knew I was capable of great things, this was my race today (editor’s note: Sunday),” he said.
In 2h07’39”, Nageeye beat three former winners in New York: the Kenyans Evans Chebet (2h07’45”) and Albert Korir (2h08) as well as the Ethiopian Olympic champion Tamirat Tola (2h08’12”).
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