Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya set a course record in winning the marathon Sunday. So did the two guys who finished right behind him.

Mutai is having a "dominant year," The New York Times notes. He also won the Boston Marathon this year. On Sunday, he won with a surge of speed at the end. In the women's race, Firehewot Dado of Ethiopia narrowly beat out Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia, winning by just four seconds.

From The Times:

Mutai used a strong late-race kick to power his way to a victory in course-record time, 2 hours, 5.06 minutes, and grab his second major marathon victory in a dominant year. Mutai, 30, added the New York title to his Boston Marathon victory earlier this year.

The women’s race unfolded entirely differently, with Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia ending up the victor after Mary Keitany of Kenya tried to turn Mutai’s strategy on its head. Keitany tried to grab this race in the early miles, powering out to a huge lead –she was once nearly two and a half minutes ahead of the nearest runner — only to give it all back as she faded at the end. She was passed by Dado and hometown favorite Buzunesh Deba, who is from Ethiopia but lives and trains in New York.

Dado has won four marathons in her career but never a major one. She finished in 2:23:15, only four seconds ahead of Deba. It was the second-closest women’s finish in the race’s history. Keitany was third in 2:23:39.

Emmanuel Mutai of Kenya and Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia finished second and third, respectively, in the men's race, both men finishing faster than the existing course record of 2:07:43.

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Ted Mann