American Shalane Flanagan seeks to repeat New York City Marathon victory
NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - When Olympian Shalane Flanagan broke the tape at the TCS New York City Marathon in 2017, she became the first American woman to win the women's open race in 40 years. The elite marathoner hopes to defend her title this November.
"When I think about returning to race in New York City, I'm flooded with magical memories. My heart skips a beat, I get butterflies in my stomach, and my palms get sweaty," Flanagan said in a news release. "New York City is incredibly special to me. It's where I ran my first marathon in 2010, placing second, and of course, my dream come true moment in 2017."
Flanagan will lace up on Sunday, November 4, with several other elite U.S. women, including Des Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion, and Allie Kieffer, who finished fifth at last year's New York City Marathon.
In the final meters of the 2017 race, Flanagan, safely ahead of other competitors, exclaimed "[Expletive] yes!" when she knew she'd win. The moment was memorably spoofed [warning: profanity] on social media.
With about 50,000 finishers every year, the New York City Marathon is the largest 26.2-mile race in the world. The five-borough course starts on the Staten Island side of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and ends near Sheep Meadow in Central Park.
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