An American woman won the NYC Marathon for the first time in 40 years

Shalane Flanagan crossed the New York City Marathon finish line just a few minutes shy of two-and-a-half hours after she started.

It was fast enough to win the women’s race portion of the annual competition, making the 36-year-old runner from Portland, Oregon the first American woman to bring home a victory in 40 years. The last time that happened was in 1977, when Miki Gorman won — for the second year in a row — with a time of 2:43:10.

Flanagan’s win shut down a record-breaking moment for the women’s race runner-up, Mary Keitany. A Keitany win would have made it four in a row for the Kenyan runner and defending champ, an honor that only a handful of NYC Marathon competitors can claim. Read more…

More about Entertainment, Sports, Nyc Marathon, Shalane Flanagan, and Entertainment