NEW YORK — The 16th mile of the New York City Marathon was the last step of Haile Gebrselassie’s storied career.
The world-record holder announced his retirement after dropping out of the race on a day that signaled the rise of a new Ethiopian star. Countryman Gebre Gebremariam won the men’s title in his marathon debut.
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Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat was another surprise winner, while Shalane Flanagan, making a marathon debut of her own, became the first American woman in two decades to finish second.
Trying to complete the 26.2 miles was rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena, who jogged the tunnels while trapped underground.
Gebrselassie pulled out on the Queensboro Bridge with a right knee injury. Gebremariam was behind him in the large lead pack and encouraged him to keep going.
“I can’t, Gebre. You have to move,” Gebrselassie urged the younger runner. “You have to reach them.”
The 26-year-old Gebremariam became the first man to win New York in his marathon debut since Rod Dixon in 1983. The 2009 cross-country world champion pulled away from Kenya’s Emmanuel Mutai in the 24th mile to win in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 14 seconds.
“Even I told to my wife, ‘I can finish this race, but I can’t win,'” Gebremariam said. “When I saw in 19 or 17 miles, you know, I can win. We are forward and I saw the pace and listen to my body too, so I can win.”
His wife, Werknesh Kidane, is an elite distance runner herself and also planned to make her marathon debut in New York. But she had to pull out because of injury and watched the race back in Ethiopia with their two young sons.
“So maybe next year she’ll come and she’ll win too,” Gebremariam said with a smile.
Another Kenyan, Moses Kigen Kipkosgei, was third. Defending champion Meb Keflezighi of the United States finished sixth.
The 31-year-old Kiplagat won her first major marathon title in 2:28:20.
Flanagan, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters, was 20 seconds back. Kim Jones in 1990 was the last American woman to finish in the top two.
Kenya’s Mary Keitany, also making her marathon debut, was third.
More than 45,000 runners started the 41st edition of the race through the city’s five boroughs.
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