Manuela Schar finally upended four-time defending champion Tatyana McFadden to win the New York City Marathon women's wheelchair race ©Getty Images

Manuela Schar finally upended four-time defending champion Tatyana McFadden to win the New York City Marathon women's wheelchair race, completing a Swiss clean sweep with men's winner Marcel Hug.

Schar powered to victory in 1 hour 48min 9sec, taking the top spot after finishing second in each of the last three years in New York. 

She also won the Boston, London and Berlin Marathons this year and beat her great American rival McFadden by almost three minutes.

It was the first time the wheelchair races were both won by competitors from the same country.

"Some feeling just made me attack and attack and attack," said Schar.

"Finally, I got away, I'm still surprised."

Manuela Schar of Switzerland, left, and Marcel Hug, also of Switzerland, celebrate winning the Professional Wheelchair Divisions during the 2017 New York City Marathon in the United States ©Getty Images
Manuela Schar of Switzerland, left, and Marcel Hug, also of Switzerland, celebrate winning the Professional Wheelchair Divisions during the 2017 New York City Marathon in the United States ©Getty Images

McFadden was seeking a record sixth career New York title but settled for second. 

The 17-time Paralympic medalist was hospitalised early this year with life-threatening blood clots but returned to win the Chicago Marathon last month.

Hug, 31, has been a big performer in The Big Apple for years.

He pulled away from Canada's Josh Cassidy in the final miles to repeat as the men's wheelchair champion and win New York for the third time.

The Swiss star, wearing a trademark chrome-plated helmet, wheeled in an unofficial time of 1:37:21, beating Cassidy by more than two minutes. 

Hug won last year's race by sixth-hundredths of a second over Australia's Kurt Fearnley.