Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola breaks course record at 2023 TCS New York City Marathon

Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, the last addition to the men’s elite field at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, has won the race in a new course record time of 2:04:58.

Tola broke the previous course record of 2:05:06 set by Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 by eight seconds. Tola broke away from the field as the race came through Brooklyn at the 17 km mark. His compatriot, Jemal Yimer, chased him up the Queensboro Bridge and into Manhattan before Tola pulled away once again and never looked back.

Tamirat Tola becomes the first man to go under 2:05 at the @nycmarathon

He broke the course record of 2:05:06 by eight seconds!#NYCMarathon #RunYourWay pic.twitter.com/mml7p6BuIq

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) November 5, 2023

New York was Tola’s third marathon of the year, after a third-place finish in London in April and a late DNF at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest two months ago. Tola won gold in the marathon at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore., where he also broke the championship record. 

“I was not thinking about the course record today,” Tola told Canadian Running. ” I was just thinking how can I win.”

Tola was the final addition to the men’s elite field four weeks ago, when 2022 champion Evans Chebet and 2019 champion Geoffrey Kamworor withdrew due to injury. Tola said in a post-race interview that he is “extremely happy with his result” and came to New York for redemption after dropping out of the 2023 Worlds marathon at 38 km due to stomach issues.

“When I won the Great North Run in September, I decided I would then come to New York,” Tola told Canadian Running post-race. “Everything is good with training. I just started thinking with my coach about how I could win New York in six weeks.”

2021 NYC champion Albert Korir was the runner-up on Sunday, in 2:06:57, and Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata rounded out the podium in 2:07:11.

Hellen Obiri sprints to victory at 2023 TCS New York City Marathon

Canada’s Levins DNF

It was not the New York Marathon debut Canada’s marathon record holder Cam Levins hoped for. The 34-year-old from Vancouver Island dropped out of the race near the 20K mark in Brooklyn.

Levins came to NYC with the ambitious goal of becoming the first Canadian to win the race and to use the hilly course as part of his preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Details on Levins’s withdrawal were not available at the time of publication. 

Men’s top 10 finishers 

1. Tamirat Tola (ETH) — 2:04:58 CR
2. Albert Korir (KEN) — 2:06:57
3. Shura Kitata (ETH) — 2:07:11
4. Abdi Nageeye (NED) — 2:10:21
5. Koen Naert (BEL) — 2:10:25
6. Maru Teferi (ISR) — 2:10:28
7. Iliass Aouani (ITA) — 2:10:54
8. Edward Cheserek (KEN) — 2:11:07
9. Jemal Yimer (ETH) — 2:11:31
10. Futsum Zienasellassie (USA) — 2:12:09

Men’s wheelchair division results

Switzerland’s Marcel Hug pulled away from the field early in the race to score his sixth victory in Central Park, finishing in 1:25:29 but the course record by an agonizing three seconds, which cost him a $50,000 bonus. Hug is the only athlete in the world with six NYC Marathon wins. He also broke the course record at this year’s Chicago Marathon.

For full tracking and results from the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, check here.

All the action for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon will be brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for in-depth coverage, live-tweeting and up-to-date exclusive news and content.