Kenya's Mutai Sets NYC Marathon Record

Blows by previous mark by more than 2 minutes
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 6, 2011 11:43 AM CST
New York City Marathon: Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai Sets Men's Record
Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya poses after crossing the finish line with a course record in the men's division at the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya has won the New York City Marathon in a course record time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, 6 seconds today, crushing the previous mark of 2:07:43 set by Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia a decade earlier. The 30-year-old has established himself as the favorite at next summer's Olympics after two landmark performances this year.

In April, Mutai ran the fastest 26.2 miles in history: 2:03:02 in Boston. It didn't count as a world record because the course is considered too straight and too downhill. The second- and third-place finishers today also broke the old course record. Fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai (no relation), the London Marathon champ, was 1:22 back. Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia was third. Click here for the women's results. (More New York City Marathon stories.)

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