Andreas Almgren and Sheila Chepkirui Win New York City Marathon

Andreas Almgren of Sweden and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the men's and women's races at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, triumphing in a historic field of about 60,000 participants.

Almgren completed his marathon debut in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa in the 50th running of the five-borough event.

Chepkirui claimed her second women's crown by crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds, holding off American runner Jessica McClain by 6 seconds.

The event marked a major milestone as the race celebrated its 50th anniversary of running through all five boroughs of New York City.

Almgren became the first Swedish runner and the first European-born man in 30 years to win the prestigious race.

"I just thought, 'I've got the legs today'," said Andreas Almgren, the men's race winner. "I'm about to start crying. It's better than anything I could have ever imagined."

Almgren pulled away from Crippa in the final mile, securing the third-fastest time in the 50-year history of the course.

"The last mile was really tricky and I had to be patient because I knew Hellen was really strong," said Sheila Chepkirui, the women's race winner. "I had to really push up to the finish line."

Chepkirui edged past Kenya's Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to secure her victory, while McClain passed Obiri in the final strides to take second place.

Organizers implemented a minor change to the course at Mile 20 in the Bronx to reduce turns and ease street closures.

In the wheelchair divisions, Marcel Hug won the men's race for the eighth time, and Catherine Debrunner won the women's event in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 2 seconds.

Runners from more than 140 countries participated in Sunday's race under mid-50s Fahrenheit temperatures.

Competitors and race officials will look toward future entries as the event prepares for its next milestone year.