The TCS NYC Marathon made history with a course record set in the women's competition and the closest race ever on the men's side.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Benson Kipruto of Kenya won the men's race by edging Alexander Mutiso by less than a second in the 54th running of the TCS New York City Marathon.
Kipruto and Mutiso separated themselves from the chase pack in the men's race heading into Mile 24. Kipruto pulled away from Mutiso late in the race, but Mutiso sprinted in the last 50 meters to close the gap before just falling short.
Kipruto finished in 2:08.09. Mutiso finished a fraction of a second behind, the closest race ever on the men's side.
Hellen Obiri, also of Kenya, set a women's course record to win the professional women's race.
Obiri, who also won the race in 2023, finished in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds.
Obiri was running with 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi until she pulled away from her countrymate in the final mile, surging ahead and winning easily, besting the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003.
Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui finished third. All three beat the previous course best.
In the professional wheelchair races, Marcel Hug won the men's race while Susannah Scaroni took the women's race.
This year, Eyewitness News had a special team running for the first time as a relay in the TCS New York City Marathon.
To celebrate 50 years of Good Morning America, our group ran as a team for the GMA50 relay.
Brittany Bell speaks with members of the team, including Eyewitness News' Liz Cho and Dani Beckstrom as well as ABC News' Ginger Zee, following the relay.
Kenyans Benson Kipruto (L) and Alexander Mutiso cross the finish line less than a second apart taking first and second place respectively in the TCS New York Marathon.
A tight race most of the way became a two-man race between Benson Kipruto and Alexander Mutiso over the final mile.
Kipruto, who won marathons in Tokyo, Chicago and Boston, held the lead down the stretch, but Mutiso stayed on his heels the entire way.
The 2024 London winner sprinted in the final meters but could not pass Kipruto, who crossed the finish line first by a fraction of a second in a time of 2:08:09.
American Charles Hicks finished seventh.
The final mile and a half was a two-woman race between Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri, with defending champ Sheila Chepkirui not far behind.
Lokedi and Obiri came down the stretch side by side, but Obiri surged ahead in the closing meters, heading back into the park.
She crossed the finish line first in a time of 2:19:51, sixteen seconds ahead of Lokedi.
Obiri, who also won the race in 2023, beat the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003.
Chepkirui finished third. All three beat the previous course best.
American Fionna O'Keeffee finished fourth in a time of 2:22:49.
