With a top-class international field, the victory went to Tamirat Tola, who broke the event's record and brought the title back to Ethiopia after three consecutive Kenyan victories. Hellen Obiri, on the other hand, demonstrated her ability to excel in tactical racing to secure a fifth consecutive victory for Kenya.

Tola lifted a heavy weight from his shoulders with this major marathon victory, confirming his emergence as a marathoner after winning gold at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. 

This victory boosted his confidence, especially after his silver medal at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships and his fourth places at the 2018 and 2019 New York Marathons, as well as his sixth places at the 2019 and 2020 London Marathons, and his third place finishes at last year's Tokyo Marathon and in this year's London Marathon.

Tola also won in the best time in the history of the event (2h:04:58), shaving eight seconds off the previous record of 2h:05:06 held by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai since 2011. Kenya's Albert Korir was second (2h:06:57), and fellow Kenyan Shura Kitata, third (2h:07:11). 

"I am very happy. I am grateful for another invitation to run this great marathon and for all the people who support me as always. Coming back to New York after two fourth places twice is fantastic. It is my first win in a 'major,' and I am very happy", said a jubilant Tola.

The women's race was a different story and in the final kilometre Hellen Obiri showed her impressive finishing skills, as evidenced by her two Olympic silver medals and two World Championships over 5,000 metres. She also has an Indoor  World Championship gold in in the 3,000 meters and an outdoor bronze in the 1,500 metres from exactly ten years ago.

It was a great triumph for an athlete who had recently seen her world marathon record overtaken by Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa, aided by Adidas' revolutionary 'super shoes.' Obiri had set the record of 2h:14:04 in Chicago in 2019, but Assefa smashed it in Berlin in October with a time of 2h:11:53.

However, the New York race had nothing to do with those record times, and Obiri managed to stay in the lead group to secure her victory with a time of 2h:27:23 (almost 19 seconds per kilometre slower than the day she achieved her best time). She finished six seconds ahead of Ethiopia's Letensebet Gidey (the world record holder for the half marathon) and ten seconds ahead of Kenya's Sharon Lokedi.

"My debut here last year was terrible and I told myself not to come back, but in the end, I did it. Sometimes you learn from your mistakes. Then I made a lot of them and I wanted to do it my best. I was prepared. I worked with my coaches and my family and I finally made it," the Kenyan explained. Interestingly, despite describing her performance in 2022 as "terrible," because she finished in sixth place.