Kenyan duo of Evans Chebet and Sharon Lokedi have won the men’s and women’s races respectively at the 2022 New York City Marathon on Sunday, completing a Kenyan sweep in the elite competition.

Chebet crossed the finishing line in 2 hours 8 minutes 41 seconds. The Boston Marathon winner did what he knows how to do best by running at his own pace, allowing Daniel do Nascimento to take a huge lead at the start of the race.

However, the Brazilian Olympian would soon collapse with only six miles before the finishing line, giving Chebet the clear opportunity to cruise to victory.

Chebet was not the only African that finished on the podium, Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata emerged the runner-up in the race with a time of 2 hours 8 minutes 54 seconds while Abdi Nageeye of Netherlands clinched the Bronze medal with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes 31 seconds.

Meanwhile Sharon Lokedi, who was an underdog prior to the competition, clinched the ultimate prize in the women’s event. She crossed the finishing line in 2 hours 23 minutes 23 seconds to win the gold medal.

The 28-year-old, who didn’t receive much media attention before the race compared to his fellow competitors, was fearless from the start to the end of the race.

Speaking in a televised interview after the race, Lokedi said: “I’m out of words. I don’t even know what to say. I’m so happy that I did it with some great people out there. The course was amazing.”

Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel finished second in the race with a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 30 seconds, while Kenya’s Gotytom Gebreslase claimed the last podium spot with a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 39 seconds.