The 28-year-old, who won the National Collegiate Athletic Association 10,000m title in 2018, only turned professional a year later and her face was a picture of surprise as she crossed the line in 2hr 23min 23sec after surging into the lead with just over a mile remaining.

It was an extraordinary victory in a high quality race where Israel’s world bronze medallist Lonah Salpeter was second in 2:23.30 and Ethiopia’s world champion Gotytom Gebreslase was third in 2:23.39.

Obiri was with the three leaders going into the final couple of miles, but eventually finished sixth on her debut at the distance.

"I didn't expect to win," Lokedi said. 

"I expected to run well.

"It was a good outcome, and I'm really excited."

The men’s race went - eventually - according to form as Lokedi's compatriot Evans Chebet, the fastest man in the field with a best of 2:03.00, won on his New York debut after Brazil’s Daniel Do Nascimento, whose extravagant early pace had earned him a lead of more than two minutes shortly after halfway, collapsed 10 kilometres from the finish.

Do Nascimento, 24, who dropped out of the Tokyo 2020 marathon after 25km having been in the lead group, set a South American record of 2:04.51 in April this year at the Seoul Marathon.

In New York he went for broke - and broke, hitting the deck and requiring attention as he paid the delayed price for reaching the 10km mark in 28min 42sec - 2:01.03 pace, six seconds inside Eliud Kipchoge’s official world record.

The temperature in Central Park was 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) at 11am local time, shortly before the elite runners crossed the finish line, beating the previous November record of 70 degrees in 1993.

Chebet’s victory, in 2:08:41, followed his triumph in Boston earlier this year and completed a clean sweep of all six men’s titles for Kenyan runners in this year’s Abbott World Marathon Majors series.

Shura Kitata of Ethiopia, who beat a field including Kipchoge to win the 2020 London Marathon title, was a fast-finishing second in 2:08.54, with third place going to Abdi Nageeye of The Netherlands, the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, who clocked 2:10:31.

Do Nascimento had taken a 20-second bathroom break a few miles before he dropped out and had stopped to a walk briefly a few minutes before he collapsed. 

Race officials said later that Do Nascimento was "OK".

Speaking via a translator, Chebet said he saw Do Nascimento on the ground and "felt bad for him, but had to continue to race."

He added: "I knew that it was hot and humid and [Do Nascimento] was going at a high pace.

"I have a lot of experience and knew I was going to surpass him.

"Boston was actually harder, and it prepared me for the win for New York.

"I'm very thankful."

Scott Fauble was the first American man home, finishing ninth in 2:13:35.

Fauble’s compatriot Galen Rupp, the 36-year-old Rio 2016 bronze medallist who has been recovering from a serious back problem this year, dropped out with around 12km to go after Chebet had suddenly upped the pace in the pack chasing the long-time Brazilian leader.

Switzerland’s Paralympic champion Marcel Hug added the New York men’s wheelchair title to his victories in Chicago and London this year as he clocked 1:25:26 to defend his title.

Daniel Romanchuk of the United States, seeking a third New York victory, was unable to get as close to Hug as he had managed in London, where he was right on the back wheel of the Swiss racer for most of the second half of the race, and finished second in 1:27:38, with third place going to Jetze Plat of The Netherlands in 1:31:28.

Home athlete Susannah Scaroni earned a famous victory in the women’s race in 1:42:43 over a field that included Switzerland’s three-time winner Manuela Schar, second in 1:45:11, and Australia’s Paralympic and Commonwealth champion Madison de Rozario, third in 1:45:24.

Lokedi and Chebet will each receive $100,000 (£88,000/€100,160) in prize money, and Hug and Scaroni will each earn $25,000 (£22,000/€25,040).

For the first time, prize money was offered to non-binary runners, with a top award of $5,000 (£4,400/€5,010).