African stars shine at NYC Half

New York - Belay Tilahun of Ethiopia and Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya won their New York City racing debuts in the NYC Half on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Tilahun completed the 21.1kme course through Brooklyn and Manhattan in 1:02:10, overtaking Eritrea's Daniel Mesfun, who led for the majority of the race but finished six seconds behind.

Jepkosgei, the world record-holder in the half marathon, won her first-ever solo race in the United States in 1:10:07. Mary Ngugi, also of Kenya, finished one minute later in second.

Daniel Romanchuk and Tatyana McFadden, both of the United States, won the wheelchair divisions.