Ethiopian Derartu Tulu, one of history's all-time great distance runners, has won her first New York City marathon after pulling away from Russia's Ludmila Petrova in the last mile to finish in two hours 28 minutes and 52 seconds.
France's Christelle Daunay was third while race favourite and two-time defending champion Paula Radcliffe, the world-record holder from Great Britain was fourth
The 37-year-old Tulu, who had won 10,000m gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1992 and 2000 and last won a major marathon in London in 2001, said she wasn't expecting to win.
Tulu said in a televised interview: "I tried not to win really, but to challenge the others.
"I tried to go with them, and I have a chance, after 35 kilometres, to win. In the last 5K, I knew I could win the race," she added.
Meb's breakthrough
In the men's race, Eritrea-born Meb Keflezighi became the first American man to win the New York Marathon since 1982.
Keflezighi crossed the finish line in Central Park in a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 15 seconds for his first major marathon title.
Four-time Boston Marathon winner, Kenya's Robert Cheruiyot, was second, 41 seconds behind the winner in 2:09:55 and Morocco's Jaouad Gharib took third in 2:10:25. American Ryan Hall finished fourth in 2:10:35.
The 34-year-old Keflezighi, who was born in Eritrea and became a U.S. citizen in 1998, is the first American to win since Alberto Salazar, who won three years in a row through 1982.
TOP NYC MARATHON RESULTS:
Women
- Derartu Tulu (ETHIOPIA) 2:28:52
- Ludmila Petrova (RUSSIA) 2:29:00
- Christelle Daunay (FRANCE) 2:29:16
- Paula Radcliffe (GREAT BRITAIN) 2:29:27
- Salina Kosgei (KENYA) 2:31:53
- Magdalena Lewy Boulet (USA) 2:32:17
Men
- Meb Keflezighi (USA) 2:09:15
- Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KENYA) 2:09:56
- Jaouad Gharib (MOROCCO) 2:10:25
- Ryan Hall (USA) 2:10:36
- Abderrahime Bouramdane (MOROCCO) 2:12:14
- Hendrick Ramaala (SOUTH AFRICA) 2:12:30