Kenya's Mutai sets NYC Marathon record

Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai won the New York City Marathon, setting a new course record.

The 2011 Boston Marathon winner crossed the finish line at 2:05:06.

The previous record was 2:07:43, set by Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia in 2001.

The 30-year-old has established himself as the favorite at next summer’s Olympics after two landmark performances this year. In April, he ran the fastest 26.2 miles in history: A time of 2:03:02 in Boston. It didn’t count as a world record because the course is considered too straight and too downhill.

The second- and third-place finishers today also broke the old course record. Fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai (no relation), the London Marathon champ, was 1:22 back. Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia was third.

Dado FirehiwotÂ of Ethiopia crosses the finish line first in the women’s division at the 2011 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011.

Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia won the women’s title New York City Marathon in a stunning comeback.

Dado trailed London Marathon champ Mary Keitany by nearly 2½ minutes at the 15-mile mark but passed her with about a mile left for her first major marathon victory. The 27-year-old Dado won in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 23, minutes 15 seconds – almost a minute better than her previous personal best.

Fellow Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba, who lives in the Bronx, was second for her first podium finish at a major marathon, four seconds back. It was the second-closest women’s finish in the race’s history.,/P>

“I didn’t really think we would catch her,” Dado said through a translator in a post-race interview. “When we caught up to her, I was very surprised.”

Keitany was third, 23 seconds back. The Kenyan was well under course-record pace for much of the race but faded badly over the final miles.