NYC Marathon 2003 - Wheelchair Race

New York City Marathon 2003 - Wheelchair Races

In the third official year of wheelchair competition in the New York City Marathon, previous records were smashed and new records were set in both the men's and women's pushrim competition.

Krige Schabort of South Africa, defended his title and dominated this year's push rim competition and set a new record by more than six minutes as he finished alone in 1:32:20. Ernst Van Dyk, also of South Africa was second in 1:35:36, just ahead of the 2001 winner, American Saul Mendoza who finished third in 1:35:37. At the start of the race it was Mendoza who took off and built a sizeable lead, but in the end that may have been the Texan's downfall. By mile nine, Schabort and Kelly Smith had caught Mendoza and by the halfway point it was Schabort's turn to move away from his competitors. Schabort was able to hold onto his lead and eventually it was Mendoza and Van Dyk working together to try to catch the leader and eventually fighting it out for second and third. After the race, when asked about the weather, Schabort commented that living in training in Georgia, he especially enjoyed the warm weather.

In the women's race, Cheri Blauwet avenged her Boston defeat by Christina Ripp and reversed that result to become the 2003 ING NYC Marathon women's wheelchair champion, setting a new record of 1:59:30. Christina Ripp was second in 2:00:05 and Canadian Diane Roy was third in 2:04:29. The women worked together, trading off the lead and