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Abdi Nageeye wins the men’s race at the 2024 New York City Marathon

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2 months ago

November 4, 2024

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Abdi Nageeye wins the men’s race at the 2024 New York City Marathon

With a strong push over the final 600 metres in Central Park, Abdi Nageeye easily broke Evans Chebet of Kenya and sailed through the finish lane tape of Sunday’s New York City Marathon in 2:07:39. Nageeye is the first Dutch runner to win either pro division at New York.

Chebet, who won the race in 2022, placed second in 2:07:45. Albert Korir of Kenya, the 2021 NYC champion, finished third in 2:08:00. Defending champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, who won the Olympic title in August, placed fourth in 2:08:50.

Team USA also had a strong day in NYC, with three runners finishing in the top 10. Conner Mantz was the top American finisher, placing sixth in 2:09:00. Mantz won the U.S Olympic Marathon Trials in February and was the top U.S. finisher at the Olympics in August, placing eighth. Mantz’s time is the second fastest by an American in race history, behind only Alberto Salazar’s then-world best of 2:08:13 in 1981.

Mantz’s training partner, Clayton Young, was the second American, placing seventh in 2:09:21, three months after finishing ninth in the Olympics.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Jonny Mellor finished 14th in 2:11:22, the first Brit over the line. Mellor ran a PB of 2:09:09 at the Seville Marathon in Spain earlier this year.

The top two American finishers, Conner Mantz (far right) and Clayton Young (second from right), in the first mile of the race.

How the race was won

The race started conservatively, with 13 men passing halfway together in 1:05:33. Chebet surged as the lead pack came off the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, and the pack was quickly down to six after that 4:27 17^thmile. Mantz was part of a three-man chase pack, but when the leaders ran 4:38 for the 18^th mile, the chasers’ hopes that the surge up front wouldn’t be sustained was dashed. As it turned out, Chebet, Nageeye, and two-time New York champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya covered the 10 kilometres from 25K (15.5 miles) to 35K (21.7 miles) in 28:32.

Just after the 21-mile mark, Nageeye briefly lost contact with the lead pack. Tola, who set the course record of 2:04:58 in winning last year’s race, looked at his watch. But it turned out that time was up for Tola, not Nageeye. Tola fell off for good while Nageeye rejoined Chebet and Kamworor. The two Kenyans have won more high-level races than Nageeye —Chebet is a two-time Boston champ, while Kamworor has won world cross country and half marathon titles. That neither attempted a push for the win at this point had to encourage Nageeye.

Kamworor started to drift back just before the 23-mile mark. Nageeye tucked in behind Chebet. Then, at one hour and 53 minutes into the race, Nageeye moved to the front for the first time. He dropped his shoulders to relax and looked placid. In contrast, Chebet ran with a creased brow, rolling shoulders, and bobbing head.

two runners racing at the end of a marathon

Evans Chebet and Abdi Nageeye in Central Park in the final miles.

Nageeye and Chebet made occasional slight attempts to break the other in Central Park, but neither made a decisive move through the fairly steep uphills and downhills of miles 24 and 25. As the duo reentered the park with less than half a mile to go, Nageeye got a slight gap on Chebet and extended his lead up the first of two uphills in the final stretch. From there, the outcome was never in doubt.

About the winner

Nageeye, age 35, is a veteran world-class marathoner. He previously placed third (2022), fourth (2023), and fifth (2021) at New York City. This was his first victory at a World Marathon Major.

He won the Rotterdam Marathon in 2022 and 2024; this year’s winning time, 2:04:45, is his personal best and the Dutch national record. Nageeye won the silver medal in the 2021 Olympic Marathon. He dropped out of the Olympic Marathon this past August in Paris.