Paralympic champions De Rozario and Hug cruise to victory in New York

Paralympic champions Madison de Rozario and Marcel Hug were the winners of the 2021 New York City Marathon in the women’s and men’s wheelchair races, respectively on Sunday (7 November.)

De Rozario celebrated her first career victory in New York and became the first Australian to win one of the most prestigious marathon races in the world.

She competed in the ‘Big Apple’ twice before with her career-best finish being a fifth place from 2017.

“It definitely feels like the next chapter in my career. I think I've been trying to become stronger with that marathon distance for quite a long time now,” De Rozario said.

“I have never won a marathon like that before, and I didn't realize how stressful it is to be out in front like that because you don't know how close the next athlete is.”

De Rozario crossed the finish line in 01:51:01 becoming the first athlete to win the Paralympic marathon gold and the New York City Marathon in the same year since Edith Wolf Hunkeler in 2008.

USA's five-time NYC Marathon champion Tatyana McFadden finished in second place (01:53:59), followed by the three-time champion Manuela Schaer from Switzerland (01:54:02).

Schaer won three World Marathon Majors this year (Berlin, London, and Boston) and holds the lead in the rankings with 158 points. McFadden sits in second with 113 points, 38 more than third-placed De Rozario.

Unbeatable Swiss Silver Bullet

Another reigning Paralympic marathon champion cruised to victory in New York City. The 35-year-old Hug of Switzerland celebrated a remarkable fourth-career win in the US city clocking in 01:31:24.

“I am really, really happy and very satisfied with my performance,” Hug said.

“It is incredible to have had this big of a gap. I never expected it. It is a very tough course with many uphills. So I was expecting to have a group together, maybe two, three at least together. I had a chance to break away very early, so I took the chance and tried to keep up my pace,” reckoned Hug who last tasted victory in New York in 2017.

The Swiss Silver Bullet won the race in dominant fashion with more than six and a half minutes in front of the 2010 champion, Great Britain’s David Weir (01:38:01). Home-crowd favourite Daniel Romanchuk finished in third crossing the line in 01:38:22.

New York City Marathon triumph marked the fourth victory of the year for Hug in the World Marathon Majors series (the other coming in Berlin, London and Boston).

The Swiss wheelchair racer holds the lead in the rankings with 165 points. Romanchuk is second with 140 points, while Weir sits in third with 82 points to his name.

This year marked the 50th edition of the New York City Marathon after the race was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 30,000 runners participated in the marathon on a Sunday morning.

2021 New York City Marathon Top five

Men’s wheelchair race
Marcel Hug (SUI) – 01:31:24
David Weir (GBR) – 01:38:01
Daniel Romanchuk (USA) – 01:38:22
Josh Cassidy (CAN) – 01:40:38
Ernst van Dyk (RSA) – 01:41:51

Women’s wheelchair race
Madison de Rozario (AUS) – 01:51:01
Tatyana McFadden (USA) – 01:53:59
Manuela Schaer (SUI) – 01.54:02
Jenna Fesemyer (USA) – 01:59:45
Vanessa de Souza (BRA) – 01:59:45

Complete results can be found on the New York City Marathon official website.