Sprint finish to claim first title in New York. 8 November 2010

David Weir was delighted to win his first ING New York City Marathon title on Sunday 7 November, five years after his last appearance in New York.

The race came down to a sprint finish with Japanese racer Masazumi Soejima but David timed his push for victory to perfection, winning by two seconds in the final 200m through Central Park.

He punched the air as he crossed the line in 1 hour 37 minutes 29 seconds and was soon in draped in a Union Jack.

In the early stages, Australian Kurt Fearnley set the pace and the pack settled behind the four times winner, until 15 miles when the field started to break up. David’s long time rival Fearnley eventually finished third.

David said afterwards:

“I’m so happy to win today, it means a lot to me as I have always dreamed of winning New York. My new racing chair has been great and my final preparations have been almost perfect, putting in the miles around Richmond Park every day.

“The key to this race was staying with Kurt Fearnley on the uphill stretches at the start. I’ve done so much hill work for this race, so it paid off!

“I want to thank all the people around me who have helped me to get back to where I belong, especially my coach Jenny Archer, my fiancé Emily and my family.

“I know that this win will give me a real boost now building towards the IPC World Championships in January.”