After a conservative start, the race for the women's lead really began near the 20-mile mark when the pack dropped to four women. This wouldn't last very long, as defending champ Mary Keitany of Kenya and Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia surged into the lead with both women running a 5:14 mile — a faster pace than the men at that same time. This would be the last time in the race that Keitany would need to compete for the lead. At mile 22, Keitany dropped Tufa as she continued to increase her lead while making her way into Central Park. By mile 24, she had a lead of over one minute to her closest competition and would finish the race with a time of 2:24:25. This makes Keitany the first woman to win a back-to-back title in New York since Paula Radcliffe took home consecutive titles in 2007 and 2008. Coincidentally, Keitany holds the record for the second-fastest marathon time in history behind Radcliffe. Of the race, Mary said she felt calm, confident, and excited throughout.
