News Local/State

McFadden Wins 4th Straight Women’s Wheelchair New York City Marathon

By Larry Fleisher
 
U of I graduate tatyana McFadden poses for pictures after winning the women's wheelchair division at the 2016 New York City Marathon.

U of I graduate tatyana McFadden poses for pictures after winning the women's wheelchair division at the 2016 New York City Marathon in New York. Seth Wenig / AP

Tatyana McFadden has swept the four major marathons for the fourth straight year by winning the New York City Marathon women's wheelchair race.
 
The 2014 University of Illinois graduate finished Sunday with an unofficial time of 1 hour, 47 minutes, 43 seconds. McFadden, 27, again completed the Grand Slam by winning in London, Boston, Chicago and New York, extending her record streak to 17 straight wins in major marathons.

McFadden, who won six medals at the Rio Paralympics, took the lead for good at the 15-mile mark and comfortably led the rest of the course to win for the fifth time in New York.

Switzerland’s Manuela Schar took second in the women's wheelchair division  with a time of 1:49:28. She was followed by two more University of Illinois wheelchair athletes --- Amanda McGrory in third place, with a time of 1:53:15, Susannah Scaroni at 1:58:16, and Katrina Gerhart with a time of 2:03:02.

The top U of I athlete in the NYC Marathon's men's wheelchair division was Josh George, who came in third with a time of 1:39:01

Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the marathon''s men's wheelchair divison, with a time of 1:35:49. It was Hug's second NYC Marathon title in the men's wheelchair division, and his sixth marathon this year. He edged Australia's Kurt Fearnley by sixth-tenths of a second, repeating their photo finish at last month's Chicago marathon.

Defending champion Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa came in fourth.