Sharon Lokedi wins TCS New York City Marathon in her debut

Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, 28, took a surprise win at the 2022 NYC marathon Sunday morning in 2:23:24, becoming only the eighth person ever to win the race in their debut at the distance. In an intense and hard-to-predict finale, Lokedi caught up to the lead women at kilometre 38 and broke away from Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, 33, the fastest woman in the field (with a PB of 2:17), heading into the last mile. Lokedi finished only seven seconds ahead of Salpeter, who ran 2:23:30. This year’s world champion, Ethiopia’s Goytytom Gebreslase, 27, rounded out the podium, finishing in 2:23:39.

? CHAMPION ?

What a moment for Sharon Lokedi who wins the New York City Marathon by seven seconds and clocks 2:23:23 ???

On her marathon debut ?#NYCMarathon ?pic.twitter.com/HHhq6sIK91

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) November 6, 2022

Lokedi moved to the U.S. at age 14, and is a University of Kansas grad. She began competing first in collegiate track and cross country in 2015; three years later, she won the 10,000m at the 2018 NCAA outdoor championships. Ten-time all-American, she ran a surprising race on Sunday, beating some seasoned marathoners.

An unseasonably warm NYC marathon kicked off with unexpected leaders making early surges. 2018 Boston Marathon winner, Olympian and 50K world best holder Des Linden led for several kilometres before the pack caught back up to her, with a deep field of elites staying together through the halfway mark.

Here's a look at the lead pack in the #TCSNYCMarathon women's open division! pic.twitter.com/0IJooUHC2C

— TCS New York City Marathon (@nycmarathon) November 6, 2022

Eight women stayed together through kilometre 25, when Gebreslase, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (running her debut) and 2021 runner-up Viola Cheptoo broke away from the group, but by the 33 km mark Salpeter had returned to the leaders. By kilometre 38, the dynamic had shifted again, with Salpeter leading, followed by Gebreslase and Lokedi. In the last few kilometres, Gebreslase began to drop off, and Salpeter and Lokedi pushed ahead. Cheptoo, who is Bernard Lagat’s younger sister, would finish fifth, Obiri sixth.

Salpeter took home the bronze medal earlier this year at the world championships in Eugene. The athlete is coached by her husband and trains with NN Running.

Gebreslase has had a challenging year personally, being unable to contact her parents in Ethiopia due to the ongoing conflict there. The athlete won the Berlin Marathon in her 2021 debut, podiumed at the Tokyo Marathon in 2022 and won the world championship marathon in Eugene, where she ran her PB of 2:18:11.

Women’s top 10:

1. Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2:23:23
2. Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (ISR) 2:23:30
3. Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:23:39
4. Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:24:16
5. Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:25:34
6. Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:25:49
7. Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA) 2:26:18
8. Emma Bates (USA) 2:26:53
9. Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:27:27
10. Nell Rojas (USA) 2:28:32

You winners of the 2022 New York City Marathon ?

?? Marcel Hug (1:25:26)
?? Susannah Scaroni (1:42:43)
?? Sharon Lokedi (2:23:23)
?? Evans Chebet (2:08:41) #NYCMarathon ?pic.twitter.com/TKyK8JGibl

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) November 6, 2022

Non-binary category winners

NYC local Jake Caswell won the non-binary category in 2:45:12, with last year’s winner, Zachary Harris, taking second in 3:09:41. Justin Solle was third in 3:14:48. The 2022 NYC Marathon offered prize money to winners of the non-binary category for the first time, becoming the first World Major Marathon to do so.

Wheelchair finishers

Wheelchair champ Marcel Hug was far ahead of the other athletes as he chased the course record; he won his fifth NYC marathon and set a new record of 1:25:26. Hug has had an unbelievable season, breaking course records in both London and Chicago.

American athletes Susannah Scaroni set a new course record in 1:42:49, following her win in Chicago.

Click here for full results.