Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil became the first South American to win the New York City Marathon while Latvia's Jelena Prokopcuka retained her women's title on Sunday.

 

Gomes broke away from a pack that included four major marathon champions at the 19th-mile mark and held firm to post his first marathon victory ahead of four pursuing Kenyans in two hours nine minutes 58 seconds.

 

Stephen Kiogora, fourth in the 2004 Boston Marathon, was second in 2:10:06, with world record holder and 2005 NYC champion Paul Tergat third another four seconds behind on the cool day that provided ideal conditions for the 38,368 runners.

 

In the women's race, Prokopcuka, blowing kisses and waving to the Central Park crowd at the finish, clocked two hours, 25 minutes and five seconds to win by exactly one minute from Tatiana Hladyr of Ukraine, winner of this year's Rome Marathon.

 

Prokopcuka became the first woman to repeat as New York champion since Tegla Loroupe of Kenya in 1995.

 

Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was third in 2:26:58. Boston Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo was fourth with only one second behind her compatriot.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)