Kenyan marathoner Mary Keitany wins New York Road Award

What you need to know:

  • "It's a great honour to win the NYRR Pro Performer of the Year award," Keitany said.
  • "This one means a lot because it is the fans who choose. I was pleased to win the TCS New York City Marathon and the NYRR New York Mini 10K in 2018, and I look forward to continuing my success in NYC in the future."

Kenya’s Mary Keitany was voted the 2018 New York Road Runners Pro Performer of the Year.

Keitany won the accolade after recording the second-fastest time in New York City Marathon history en route to her fourth title, and winning her third NYRR New York Mini 10K.

Keitany, 36, won her fourth New York City Marathon title in November, easily outpacing the field to finish in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds, just 17 seconds off the course record.

Her second-half split was faster than the U.S. half marathon record of 1:07:25, and she now has the second-most New York City Marathon victories in history in the women’s open division after Grete Waitz.

Earlier in the year, Keitany won her third NYRR New York Mini 10K in a time of 30:59, the fifth-fastest time in the event’s 47-year history.

The NYRR Pro Performer of the Year award recognises the top athlete for his or her outstanding achievements at NYRR races over the entire year.

“It’s a great honour to win the NYRR Pro Performer of the Year award,” Keitany said in a statement from New York Coty Marathon media.

“This one means a lot because it is the fans who choose. I look forward to continuing my success in NYC in the future.”

The president and CEO of New York Road Runners, Michael Capiraso noted that by winning her fourth New York City Marathon and third NYRR New York Mini 10K, Keitany put on a show for runners and viewers around the world with her amazing performances on the roads in 2018.

“Mary is like family to New York Road Runners, and we are extremely grateful to have one of the greatest marathoners of all-time be such an inspiration to our running community here in New York,” said Capiraso.

Keitany received 46.3 percent of the public vote, while U.S. wheelchair racers Daniel Romanchuk and Susannah Scaroni came in second and third, respectively, with 16.2 and 14.1 percent of the vote.

Romanchuk became the first American and youngest athlete ever to win the men’s wheelchair division at the TCS New York City Marathon, while Scaroni won the first-ever wheelchair division race at the NYRR New York Mini 10K, breaking the 10K world record in the process.

The other finalists for NYRR Pro Performer of the Year included: Buze Diriba (ETH), Rhonex Kipruto (KEN), Jenny Simpson (USA), and Ben True (USA).

The finalists were chosen based off their performances at the following NYRR races in the NYRR Pro Racing Series: NYRR Wanamaker Mile, United Airlines NYC Half, UAE Healthy Kidney 10K, NYRR New York Mini 10K, New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships, and New York City Marathon.