Track specialist Ben True outsprinted distance stalwart Dathan Ritzenhein to win the NYC Half on Sunday in New York.

True, 32, of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, is the first American male champion in the 13-year history of the race.

Runners raced in cold temperatures and faced stiff headwinds for most of the 13.1 miles, which took place on a new, hillier course between Brooklyn and Central Park. True’s winning time, 1:02:39, reflected those conditions. Ritzenhein, 35, of Belmont, Michigan, finished three seconds back, in 1:02:42. Chris Thompson of Great Britain was third in 1:02:43.

“My goal was to get into the park in contention, and then let my legs and my reptilian brain get me to the finish line first,” True said during a press conference after the race. The strategy seemed to work. Although Ritzenhein put a gap on the other runners as they entered Central Park, True was able to reel him in over the final three miles to be in place to unleash his kick. He earned $20,000 for the victory. 

The women’s race was even tighter, but on the final downhill sprint to the finish, Buze Diriba, 24, of Ethiopia, got past Emily Sisson, 26, of Providence, Rhode Island. Diriba was timed in 1:12:23 to Sisson’s 1:12:24, her second consecutive year that she finished second. Karoline Grøvdal of Norway was third in 1:12:43.

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Many of the top Americans in the field were using the race as a tuneup for the Boston Marathon, and the hills coming at the end of the new New York course closely mimicked Boston’s famous Newton hills. Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia (fourth), and Americans Serena Burla (fifth) and Desiree Linden (eighth) will be lining up in Boston next month.

The same goes for Ritzenhein, a three-time Olympian, who is hoping he has more good marathons in him. His PR of 2:07:47 puts him third all-time among American marathoners, but that race dates back to 2012. Last July, he joined the Hansons-Brooks Project, and he said on Twitter that he was “very pleased” with his second-place finish and “feeling good” one month out from Boston.

Watch: Ben True, the American record-holder, speaks prior to the 2017 USATF 5K Championships.

preview for 2017 USATF 5K Championships: Ben True (Prerace)

True, meanwhile, has no plans to abandon the track and jump up to the marathon distance any time soon, despite his consistent success at road racing over the years. “I’ll be honest,” he said. “Today it crossed my mind that I never want to do a marathon for how long a half marathon felt.”

Editor’s note: Due to a source error, a previous version of this story said that the race was Ben True’s debut at the half-marathon distance. In fact, True started the 2013 Houston Half Marathon but dropped out midway through. 

Lettermark
Sarah Lorge Butler

Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!