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Mary Keitany wins the NYC Marathon without the Nike Vaporflys

Keitany didn't need the Nike Vaporfly's to take the decisive win at the 2018 TCS NYC Marathon

New York City Marathon Preview

Mary Keitany won the TCS NYC Marathon in 2:22:49 (unofficially). Her win on Sunday morning makes her only the second woman in history to win four New York City Marathon titles. Keitany is an Adidas-sponsored athlete, so there were no Nike Vaporfly 4%’s on the feet of these leading lady. 

Keitany seriously increased the pace at around 26 kilometres. She broke away with Rahma Tusa and Netsanet Gudata, but Keitany was the only woman who could maintain the pace she laid down. The 2018 NYC Marathon winner ended up gapping the field by over three minutes.

RELATED: Keitany wins a fourth NYC marathon; Flanagan third

RELATED: NYC defending champ Geoffery Kamworor says Vaporfly 4% isn’t an advantage

This race follows a growing debate as to whether the Nike shoe provides too much of an advantage. With runners like Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin, who broke the world marathon record in September, and Mo Farah, who broke the British and European marathon record in Chicago this month, sporting the instantly-recognizable orange shoe, some are raising the question of whether the much-touted four per cent edge it gives runners is like a performance-enhancing drug.

At the international press conference on Friday, Keitany reportedly said she doesn’t feel disadvantaged by not having the Nike shoe. “The shoe doesn’t run. It’s you who’s running. The human being is running.” Keitany’s faith in her running and her gear were not misplaced. The 2018 NYC champ blasted a 66-minute half-marathon for the second 21.1 kilometres of the race today.

The third place runner in the men’s race, Geoffrey Kamworor, echoed Keitany’s feeling on Friday: “Actually I don’t think that the shoe is a factor provided that you are prepared, that you are training hard, you can run with any kind of shoe. So the shoe is not a disadvantage to other people.”

It’s likely that Keitany wears a customized version of the Adidas Adizero Adios 3, one of the company’s racing flats. 

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