2 Nov 2009

American wins New York marathon

9:33 am on 2 November 2009

Meb Keflezighi has won the New York City Marathon, becoming the first American man to capture the title since 1982.

Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, earned his first major marathon with a time of 2hr 09min 15sec.

The 34-year-old athlete was born in Eritrea, and became a US citizen in 1998.

Four-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya was second in 2:09:56 and Morocco's Jaouad Gharib third in 2:10:25.

American Alberto Salazar won three straight New York City Marathon titles from 1980-82.

Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia won the women's race, pulling away in the final mile to beat Russian Ludmila Petrova.

41-year-old Petrova finished second for the second year in a row... France's Christelle Daunay was third with 2-time defending champion Paula Radcliffe of Britain fourth.

37-year-old Tulu, won Olympic 10,000m gold in 1992 and 2000, and took bronze at the 2004 Athens Games.

She also captured World Championship gold at 10,000m in 2001 - the same year she finished third in the London Marathon.

She improved on her previous best New York City Marathon finish - a third place in her only previous appearance in 2005.