Last month, the New York Marathon took place, which is the world’s largest marathon of 2023. There were 51,402 runners who finished, and it had a 98.9 percent completion rate. Looking specifically at the women’s race there was a tight competition over the final few miles as Hellen Obiri of Kenya, and Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia were both fighting with all they had for victory and to be titled as the winner. They both have unique and different racing styles. Hellen Obiri is a two-time Olympic medalist in the 5,000-meter (3.1 miles) and the current Boston Marathon champion. She runs with a ferocious power, she attacks the course fully with arms, legs, and an intense amount of determination. Letesenbet Gidey is the women’s world-record holder in the 10,000 meters (6.21 miles) and an Olympic bronze medalist. She runs effortlessly and covers the ground with a graceful stride. Obiri was fearless and displayed one final speed burst dropping Gidey. She placed first with a time of 2:27:23, while Gidey finished 6 seconds behind with a time of 2:27:29. Obiri’s tactic is remembering that in a marathon it is essential to have patience.
On the Men’s side however Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia is a 2016 10,000-meter bronze medalist. He was the world champion in 2022 for the men’s marathon. For the 2023 New York Marathon, He ran hard from the start. He had an uphill surge in the 20th mile and made a push after the 30-kilometer mark to become the champion. He finished first with a time of 2:04:58. Albert Korir finished second place behind him making a new personal best of 2:06:57. That time was one minute and twenty-five seconds faster than his time in 2021. After all the hard work, both the men and women’s races had a large amount of strategy and effort. All their accomplishments are worth celebrating, they have come such a far and impressive way.
