Flanagan upsets Keitany, ends US drought at NYC Marathon

Shalane Flanagan dethroned Mary Keitany on Sunday and became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977, potentially ending her decorated career with her first major marathon victory.

Keitany had won three straight New York marathons, but Flanagan pulled away from the Kenyan great with about three miles to go. Flanagan finished with an unofficial time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, 53 second, about a minute faster than Keitany. The American cried and yelled as she approached the finish line all alone.

Flanagan became the first American winner of the women's division in 40 years. The last American woman to win New York was Miki Gorman, who won consecutive titles in 1976-77.

"She's been working hard for so many years, and she's come so close so many times and finally she scored," said Bill Hamilton, Flanagan's neighbor.

Flanagan finished second in New York in her first marathon in 2010 but hadn't run this race since. After a fracture in her lower back kept her out of the Boston Marathon, Flanagan trained hard for New York with an eye on Keitany.

The epicenter for Flanagan's victory may have been Central Park, but the appreciation for what it took to get there was deeply felt back home.

At the Greater Boston Running Company store in Swampscott, employee Dawn McGrath says this was an unbelievable comeback, given Flanagan couldn't run the Boston Marathon last spring due to a back issue.

"The fact that she just kept trying. This is her goal, she wanted to win," said Dawn McGrath of the Greater Boston Running Company.

Heartache, hardship, sacrifice, disappointment and pain are all part of the marathon journey, one that sometimes ends in triumph.

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Flanagan called Keitany "the alpha racer" and said she was ready to "suffer dearly" while keeping up with the unpredictable Kenyan. Flanagan had said she may retire if she won New York.

Women's running has come a long way since Miki Gorman won the New York City Marathon 40 years ago when her finishing time was at two hours and forty-three minutes. Shalane Flanagan was about sixteen minutes faster today.

Associated Press