New York City Men’s Marathon Ends in Dramatic Sprint to the Finish Line

Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa holds off fellow countryman Sharu Kitata, wins by just two seconds.

In the final stretch of the 2018 New York City Marathon, Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa sprints ahead of Sharu Kitata on the way to winning the race by two seconds, with a time of 2:05.59. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
In the final stretch of the 2018 New York City Marathon, Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa sprints ahead of Sharu Kitata on the way to winning the race by two seconds, with a time of 2:05.59. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Two-time Boston Marathon winner Lelisa Desisa won the 2018 New York City Marathon in dramatic fashion on Sunday, outlasting fellow Ethiopian Sharu Kitata by just two seconds after a sprint to the finish line. Desisa’s winning time of 2:05.59 was the second fastest in course history; Kitata finished two seconds behind at 2:06.01.

Before their last-minute sprint, Desisa and Kitata had shaken loose defending champion, Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor, in the latter stages of the race. Desisa, who had previously earned a second-place finish and two third-place finishes in the New York Marathon, earned $100,000 for his inaugural win. And Desisa has Kitata to thank for helping him pick up another paycheck—since Desisa finished under 2:06.00, he took home another $45,000 in bonus pay.

 

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