Mutai, Jeptoo of Kenya win titles at NYC Marathon

Elsa/Getty Images

Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya is the first one to cross the finish line during Sunday's NYC Marathon.

Priscah Jeptoo and Geoffrey Mutai have won the women’s and men’s titles in the New York City Marathon in its triumphant return after a 1-year hiatus.

The two Kenyans waved their flag in celebration while thousands cheered in Central Park.

Jeptoo, 29, overtook Bronx resident Buzubesh Deba with an impressive final kick and sped across the finish line to thunderous applause, clocking in at 2 hours, 25 minutes and 7 seconds for the grueling 26.2-mile race

Deba, 26, finished second for the second straight time, having claimed No. 2 in 2011 as well.

Jeptoo trailed the Ethiopian-born Deba by more than three minutes halfway through. But she made her move as the race entered Manhattan and passed Deba with more than two miles to go.

Mutai, 32, ran away with the men’s crown, powering through the home stretch amid autumn foliage to break the tape at 2:08:24.

Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News

Geoffrey Mutai crosses the finish line Sunday to capture the men's crown in the NYC Marathon.

Nearly 50,000 runners are making their way through the five boroughs — with tenfold that number of fans and security officials lining the route to ensure safety.
Police officers were “everywhere,” several race fans told the Daily News, with foot patrols on many street corners in response to the bombings at the Boston Marathon earlier this year.
Helicopters hovered over the starting village all morning and the NYPD said it was the first year that metal detector wands were used for everyone at the site.

PHOTOS: NEW YORK CITY MARATHON 2013: RECORD NUMBERS HIT THE TARMAC

But tight security or not, marathon mavens said they were thrilled to welcome the runners back after missing out in 2012.
Last year, officials canceled the mammoth event due to the havoc wreaked by Superstorm Sandy.

MIKE SEGAR/Reuters

Geoffrey Mutai breaks the tape at 2:08:24.

“My cousin said, ‘Why are you going? Look what happened in Boston,’” said Jackie Morrison, 49, a tourist visiting from London, said. “I said, ‘This is here. This is now. You can’t be scared.”
Morrison, like others cheering on contenders in the 26.2-mile road race, said she loves the beloved event for its “atmosphere.”
The 43-year-old marathon, which kicked off in 1970 with just 127 participants, now attracts competitors from around the world and boasts a live television audience of 330 million people.
“It’s energetic, and the wheelchair athletes are so inspiring,” Morrison gushed, looking on as American competitor Tatyana McFadden completed a historic marathon “Grand Slam.”
McFadden won the women’s wheelchair race after also triumphing in the London, Boston and Chicago marathons this year.
No other athlete has won those four races in the same year.

Marcus Santos/New York Daily News

Priscah Jeptoo of  Kenya competes in the NYC Marathon on Sunday. Her winning time was 2 hours, 25 minutes and 7 seconds.

The 24-year-old Maryland resident, who was born with a spinal defect and left at a Russian orphanage as a baby, was adopted by an American family.
She also won the 2010 New York City Marathon.

RELATED: NYC MARATHON 2013: BOSTON DOCTOR HAS RUN OF EMOTION AT RACE

Mayor Bloomberg, wearing an orange running jacket, hung medals around the necks of the male and female winners, who beamed back at Hizzoner and the crowd.
The double win for Kenya marked the third time that the country has captured the men’s and the women’s race titles.

Ryan Vail of Oregon and Adriana Nelson of Colorado were the first Americans to finish in the men’s and women’s competitions. They both placed No. 13.

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Geoffrey Mutai heads to the finish line on route to winning the NYC Marathon.

Enthusiastic supporters buoyed the spirits of tired runners as they covered mile after mile.
On 4th Ave. in Midtown, Eli Zodo, 55, gave air high-fives at sweaty strangers jogging by.
“It’s really exciting to have the marathon back,” Zodo said. “I’ve been coming here for years. It was sad after what happened in Boston and the storm last year.”
“They are all struggling to keep pace. But they are smiling. The marathon makes people happy.”
RELATED: TATYANA MCFADDEN COMPLETES GRAND SLAM AT NYC MARATHON 2013
Blue tape separated the runners from the gawkers, but viewer Raul Gomez, 50, still felt 100% part of the marathon action as he pointed at a participant trotting along in a Superman shirt.

LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS

A runner carrying the U.S. flag and wearing a T-shirt that says 'Boston Strong' crosses the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge during the marathon.

“Go Superman, go!” Gomez shouted. “I want to see you fly!”
Many in the race and alongside were remembering the storm that crippled the city last fall.
“When the race got cancelled I grabbed some buddies and went down to the Jersey Shore to help out,” said Jan Wright, a 47-year-old retired police officer.

RELATED: NEWSER HAS HIS MOTHER IN MIND AS HE RACES MARATHON FOR CANCER CHARITY

Maria Murphy, 55, journeyed from Toms River, N.J., where she weathered Sandy last year.
“There is electricity in the air,” said Murphy, wearing a “Restore the Shore” sweatshirt. “No one is fearful. There are police all over.”

The Boston tragedy was also on the minds of many runners.

PETER FOLEY/EPA

Even the runners themselves were checked by police before the start of the New York City Marathon Sunday.

“I decided nothing was going to stop me,” said tough Beantown resident Jen Watter, 38.
“What should you be scared about?” added Richard Lindo, 58, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. “Just because something happened in Boston, doesn’t mean it will happen here.”

RELATED FDNY CAPTAIN RUNS MARATHON IN HONOR OF LATE FATHER

There were plenty of light moments as the race wore on.
Aaron Bliss and members of his Platinum Mustache singing group trekked up I-95 from Philadelphia to serenade the runners.
“We sing to them and tell them to work hard and keep going,” Bliss said. “We also sing to them about breakups. So if someone just remembers that their girlfriend left them, that will give them the fire to run faster.”
--------
RUNNING THE NUMBERS

The ING New York City Marathon is billed as the largest one-day live sporting event in the world. Here’s what that means, by the numbers:The ING New York City Marathon is billed as the largest one-day live sporting event in the world. Here’s what that means, by the numbers:
26.2 miles

Nearly 100,000 applicants
Roughly 50,000 participants
61% men, 39% women
118 entrants under age 20
31 entrants over age 80
350 athletes with disabilities
2 million spectators along the route
330 million TV viewers
More than 8,000 volunteers
23 Olympians representing 23 countries
62.370 million gallons of water and 2.3 million paper cups for thirsty participants on the go
100 tons of litter and debris
2 hours, 8 minutes, 24 seconds to complete the race for men’s winner Geoffrey Mutai
More than 130 bands and entertainment zones
2,374 portable toilets along the route
38 medical station SCROLL DOWN TO LEAVE A COMMENT