Kenyans finish first in marathons

NEW YORK -- Kenyans again dominated the New York City Marathon Sunday, with Margaret Okayo smashing the course record and Martin Lel winning his first marathon ever.\nOkayo won the New York race for the second time, dropping to her knees and kissing the ground after crossing the line in two hours, 22 minutes, 31 seconds. She shattered her 2001 course record by nearly two minutes.\nReigning world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was second among the women in 2:23:04, followed by Lornah Kiplagat, a native Kenyan who became a Dutch citizen this year, in 2:23:43. They also beat the previous course record.\n"I didn't know I was going to break my own record, but I was just trying to do my best," Okayo said.\nLel was timed in 2:10:30. Defending champion Rodgers Rop of Kenya was second among the men in 2:11:11 and countryman Christopher Cheboiboch was third in 2:11:23.\nSeven of the top 10 men and four of the top 10 women were from Kenya. Five of the last seven men's champions have been from Kenya. The top three men last year were from Kenya.\n"I am very happy because for sure we are representing our country," Lel said.\nThe top American man was Matt Downin of Bloody Brook, N.H., in 17th place in 2:18:48. The best U.S. woman was Sylvia Mosqueda of Los Angeles in 10th place at 2:33:11.\nLel and Okayo each won $100,000, with Okayo getting a $60,000 bonus for finishing under 2:23.\nWith 35,104 entrants -- including hip-hop star Sean "P. Diddy" Combs -- for the 26.2-mile run through the city's five boroughs, Okayo beat a strong field. And she did it on a warm day, with the temperature in the 60s.\nNine runners were bunched through the first half of the race, including Okayo, Kiplagat, former winner Ludmila Petrova, Ndereba and 2002 NYC Marathon winner Joyce Chepchumba.\nAt the halfway mark, the women were on pace to set the record after covering 13.1 miles in 1:12:04.\nOkayo, Kiplagat and Petrova pulled away from the front-runners at the 17-mile mark. Ndereba started to make a move around mile 18. With Kiplagat opening a small lead over Okayo, Ndereba passed Petrova for third.\nBut Okayo turned it on. She overtook Kiplagat for first and cruised to victory. Last year, she finished fifth after having back problems and was taken to the hospital after the race.\nThis year, she spent three months training for the NYC Marathon in the northern Italian town of Brescia.\n"She's a strong runner up and down hilly courses like this," said her coach, Gabriele Rosa. "Good for Athens, that's a hilly course, too. She'll run the marathon in the Olympics."\nNdereba was attempting to join Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway as the only woman to win in New York, Boston and Chicago.\nIt was not a good day for the American women. Marla Runyan, who finished fourth in New York last year and fifth in Boston this year, was among the early leaders. But she tangled with Ndereba at a water station between miles seven and eight and fell behind. She finished 20th.\nChristy Nielsen-Crotts dropped out at the 15th mile and Jen Rhines almost pulled out at mile 22.\nJulio Rey withdrew after twisting his right ankle while reaching for water at the first station around the four-mile mark. Rey, who was attempting to become the first Spaniard to win in New York, finished second in the world championships this summer.\nThrough the first 18 miles, Lel, Rop, Cheboiboch, Laban Kipkemboi and Elly Rono led the way. Then Rop and Lel emerged as the front-runners and were side-by-side with a few miles to go. Lel surged ahead in the final mile.\n"When I took Rodgers Rop, I was excited because I didn't know whether I would be able to drop him," Lel said.\nIn October, Lel won the world half-marathon title. He finished third in Boston this year.\nIn the wheelchair division, Krige Schabort of South Africa won his second straight NYC Marathon in 1:32.20, breaking his old mark of 1:38.27 set last year. On the women's side, American Cheri Blauwet also won for the second straight year in a course record 1:59.30.