Early Celebration Nearly Costs NYC Marathon Winner

The thousands of people lining the streets of the five boroughs on Saturday to cheer on the 55,000 runners in the New York City Marathon had competitions worth seeing. Hellen Obiri of Kenya convincingly won the women's title for the second time, beating the course record by more than two minutes with her time of 2 hours,19 minutes, 51 seconds. On the men's side, Benson Kipruto of Kenya nearly cost himself the victory at the finish line, the New York Times reports. Over the last 50 minutes, Alexander Mutiso Munyao was gaining on Kipruto, who was caught by surprise at a last-minute surge. Kipruto raised raised his arms in celebration just before reaching the finish, and his final margin was less than two-tenths of a second. So both clocked in at 2:08.09. Marathon scenes included:

• The route: The 26.2-mile course started in Staten Island and ending in Manhattan's Central Park. This is the 49th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in the park. Temperatures were in the 50s when the race began, per the AP. Friends, family, and competitors then walked around Central Park looking for each other for reunions. Reaching the 86th Street exit adds almost another mile to the weary runners' 26.2-mile trek.
• Wheelchair winners: Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Susannah Scaroni of the US, who set course records in 2022, won the wheelchair races comfortably. Hug led all the way and won with a time of 1:30:16. Weir's was 1:34:09. "It was maybe not as easy as it looked," Hug said. "I had some issues with my back stroke, so I lost some seconds. But who cares? I won the race, and I'm really happy."

• Dedicated spectators: Lining the route, fans provided an emotional lift as runners went by, sometimes ringing cowbells or blasting music. There were plenty of signs, often with political messages or puns. Current events, including the jewelry theft at the Louvre, were a popular topic. At Mile 21 in the Bronx, Sharman Switzer, 76, cheered the runners on, as she's done for 30 years, per the Times. She brought her daughter and granddaughter with her to a spot she said usually has the smallest crowds, saying, "It's where they need us the most." On a sidewalk, a woman crouched down to pick up banana peels to keep the runners safe.