Kenyans Geoffrey Mutai and Priscah Jeptoo won New York Marathon titles on Sunday as elite runners returned to the Big Apple a year after Hurricane Sandy forced the cancellation of the race and seven months after the Boston Marathon bombings.
Mutai, who also won the 2011 New York crown, won the men's race in an official time of 2hrs 8mins, 24secs, 52 seconds ahead of runner-up Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia but well off the course record of 2:05:05 he set two years ago.
"I feel good for this win," Mutai said.
"It was a very tough race. To win a race for the first time is easy. To defend your title is not easy. It was a tough win out there."
Jeptoo, the reigning London Marathon women's champion who finished second at last year's London Olympics, came from behind to win in 2:25.07.
Swiss Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair race, with Australian Kurt Fearnley third - less than a metre behind Hug.
"That was tough, real tough. We all had a go at a break but couldn't get away. We were all hurting over the last 10km or so and in the end it was a cracking battle," Fearnley said.
The 43rd edition of the 26.2-mile (42.2km) showdown included more than 48,000 runners from 115 nations competing in cool and windy conditions for a $100,000 top prize with a backdrop of tightened security in the wake of twin tragedies.
Three people were killed by bombs planted near the finish line of the Boston Marathon last April, making "Boston Strong" a catchphrase to inspire comebacks, including a World Series baseball crown for a Boston Red Sox club that was last in its division in 2012.
"What occurred in Boston has made this race even more important to participants," said retired tennis star John McEnroe, who lives near the finish line.
Nearly 100 people died in flooding and devastating property damage caused in the New York area last year by Hurricane Sandy.
"We run for the spirit of New York and Boston," said race chief executive Mary Wittenberg.
Mutai went to the front of the early lead pack of 20 that was trimmed to eight with about half an hour remaining.
Mutai made his move in the 21st mile, breaking the pack apart after one hour and 42 minutes. Countryman Stanley Biwott stayed with him for another mile but then faded and Mutai was never challenged from there to the finish.
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