Evans Chebet and Sharon Lokedi cruise to victory in New York Marathon

Sharon Lokedi defied the odds on her debut in marathon racing after cruising to victory in the New York Marathon held in Sunday evening, on East African Time. 

Lokedi who specialises in half marathon running clocked 2:23:23 to ensure that the honours remain in the possession of a Kenyan in the absence of the defending champion, Peres Jepchirchir.

It was double joy for Kenya as the reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet was victorious in the men's category.

Victory for Chebet saw him become the first athlete to win the two races in a year after ten years.

Lokedi who surged forward with four kilometres to the tape finished ahead of the Kenyan born Lonah Salpeter who represents Israel and Gotytom Gebreslase who bagged bronze.

Salpeter, who desperately tried to catch up with Lokedi as soon as she stepped up, stopped the clock after two hours, twenty three minutes and thirty seconds while Gebreslase timed 2:23:39.

Chebet on the other hand showed the 2020 London Marathon a clean pair of heels after clocking 2:08:41.

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Kitata came in second after 2:08:54 with Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye of Netherlands settling for bronze after timing 2:10:31.

Multiple world 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri who was also making her debut in marathon finished sixth.

The Kenye Defence Forces runner who has had an illustrious career on the track clocked 2:25:49. Veteran marathoner Edna Kiplagat settled for a fourth place finish after crossing the line in 2:24:16.

Among those who waited for the winners at the finish line is record holder Eliud Kipchoge who broke his own record in September in Berlin.

Chebet who had to dig it deep after Brazilian Daniel Nascimento pulled from the pack and accelerated to create a massive rift between and the rest early in the race.

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Nascimento who had injected breath taking pace early into the race, however ran short of gas when it mattered most and would watch the chasing pack catch up with him.

Victory for Chebet means that Kenyan athletes have won this year's major marathons. Kipchoge claimed victory both in Tokyo and Berlin while Chebet will be satisfied to have clinched top honours in Boston and New York.

The 2019 world bronze medalist Amos Kipruto won the London Marathon while Benson Kipruto mined gold in Chicago Marathon.