Canadian runner and two-time Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot is looking forward to some rest as he enters retirement.
The 34-year-old capped a 15-year track and road racing career with his marathon debut on Sunday in New York City, finishing 21st in the professional men’s group in two hours 26 minutes 25 seconds.
“The time wasn’t pretty, but I came through the first half with the lead pack in 65:20,” he told Canadian Running. “It was much faster than I wanted to go out, but I felt great.”
However, it wasn’t long before Philibert-Thiboutot began to cramp around 28 or 29 kilometres of 42.2 and nearly stopped.
“All that mattered [at that point] was finishing but it was really hard,” he said.
Philibert-Thiboutot leaves the sport on a high note after achieving three personal-best times indoors across 1,500 metres, the mile (1,609m) and 5,000 to begin his final campaign. He set another four outdoors, highlighted by his victory and 28 minute six-second national record at the Canadian 10K Road Running Championships in Ottawa on May 24.
In early April Philibert-Thiboutot raced the 3,000 and 5,000 metres at the inaugural Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Quebec City athlete had three top-three finishes on the track, including a silver-medal performance in the 1,500 at the NACAC Championships in mid-August, and was victorious on Sept. 20 at the Canadian 5K Road Running Championships in Montreal.
Philibert-Thiboutot made his Olympic debut in 2016, placing 16th in the 1,500 in Rio before battling injuries for a few seasons.
He didn’t qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but returned to the Summer Games last year in Paris, where Philibert-Thiboutot ran a 2024 season best of 3:33.29 in his 1,500 semifinal heat.
“I’m very tired mentally, physically. I’m very happy with my career,” he said Sunday.
Obiri takes down Okaya record
Meanwhile, a course record was set in the women’s competition in New York City and the men’s race had its closest-ever finish, decided by a fraction of a second.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya broke the women’s record while compatriot Benson Kipruto won the men’s race by edging Alexander Mutiso by 3-100ths of a second.
Obiri, who also won the race in 2023, finished in two hours 19 minutes 51 seconds. She was running with 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi until Obiri pulled away from her countrymate in the final 1.6 km, surging ahead and winning easily by 16 seconds to best the previous course record of 2:22.31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003.
“It feels so great. … I am so happy to run the course record,” Obiri said. “With 1K to go I felt like I was so strong. I have something left in my tank.”
Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui finished third. All three beat the previous course best on a beautiful day for running, with temperatures above 10 C when the race started.
Kipruto and Mutiso separated themselves from the chase pack in the men’s race through 39 km. Kipruto seemed to have put the race away, pulling away from Mutiso in the last 200 metres. But Mutiso, who also is from Kenya, wasn’t done, surging in the last 50 metres before falling just short. Kipruto, who was running the New York race for the first time, finished in 2:08.40. That finish topped the 2005 race that was decided by a second.
“I was aware that Mutiso was behind,” said Kipruto, who also has won the Boston, Chicago and Tokyo marathons. “It was so close, and I knew because I know Mutiso is a strong guy.”
Albert Korir, who won in 2021, was third, giving Kenya a sweep of the top three spots in both the men’s and women’s races.
Eliud Kipchoge, who turns 41 next week, wrapped up a historic run as one of the most accomplished marathoners in the sport. Kipchoge, who has won 11 major world marathons, finished 17th in his first time running NYC.
Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni both won the wheelchair races in dominant fashion. Hug, known as the Silver Bullet, has now won this marathon seven times. He finished 3:52 ahead of second-place finisher David Weir.
Scaroni defended her title and was victorious for the third time in four years. She crossed the finish line 5:43 ahead of second-place finisher Tatyana McFadden, who won the race five times.
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