NEW YORK — Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands won the men’s race at the New York City Marathon on Sunday and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women’s race.

Both runners pulled away from their closest competitors in the last few hundred meters to come away with their first victories in the race.

Nageeye took a step forward with 2022 champion Evans Chebet before taking advantage of a burst towards Central Park to claim victory in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 39 seconds. Chebet finished 6 seconds behind.

“At the end, I said to myself: am I dreaming? I won New York,” Nageeye said.

He had previously run the New York race three times, with his best finish coming in 2022, when he was third.

“I know the course,” Nageeye said. “Today it was two things: surviving this race and my race will be after 36 (kilometers; 22 miles). I was thinking like a cyclist, survive 36km and you’re going to win.

Chepkirui was racing in New York for the first time and pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women’s race. Chepkirui, who began running marathons in 2022, won in 2:24.35. Obiri finished almost 15 seconds late.

“It means my training was good,” Chepkirui said. “I’m so happy.”

Obiri was looking to become the first repeat champion since Mary Keitany of Kenya won three in a row from 2014 to 2016. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya finished third, giving the African nation the top three spots.

Tamirat Tola, the reigning men’s champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist, finished fourth, just behind Albert Korir.

The top Americans finished sixth in both races. Conner Mantz led the men’s race and Sara Vaughn led the women’s race. Vaughn was in the lead group heading into Mile 20 when they entered the Bronx before leaving the lead pack.

Vaughn was ready to run Chicago before COVID-19 prevented her from participating in that race. She was a late addition to this marathon.

The day started with a surprise in the men’s wheelchair race as three-time defending champion Marcel Hug was beaten by Daniel Romanchuk, who also won in 2018 and 2019. Susannah Scaroni won the women’s wheelchair race. It was his second victory in New York, also winning the 2022 race and giving the Americans winners in both events – the first time that has happened.

The 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course took runners through New York’s five boroughs, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. This is the 48th year the race has been held in all five boroughs. Before that, the course took place entirely in Central Park when it began in 1970. The first race had only 55 participants while more than 50,000 are expected this year.

The weather was perfect for running with temperatures in the 40s at the start of the race. Last year it was 61 degrees at the start of the race.