Jepchirchir, 28, who held off compatriot and world record holder Brigid Kosgei to take the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, broke away over the final mile of the race before crossing the line in 2 hours 22min 39sec.

She thus managed something that had eluded previous Olympic marathon champions such as Joan Benoit Samuelson and Frank Shorter of the United States, Stefano Baldini of Italy and Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda.

Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu has been the only Olympic champion to win in New York – but her Olympic title was over 10,000 metres.

"After I won the Olympic marathon, I was not expecting to win [in New York]," Jepchirchir said on the ESPN2 broadcast after the race.

"I prepared well and I’m so pleased, so happy."

Jepchirchir was followed home by fellow Kenyan Viola Cheptoo, who clocked 2:22:44, and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia, third in 2:22:52.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Molly Seidel set an American course record of 2:24:42 in fourth place.

Victory in the men’s race went to Jepchirchir’s compatriot Albert Korir, who clocked 2:08:22 to go one better than his second place in this race two years ago.

Korir, 27, had made his move earlier in the race, pushing clear from Morocco’s Mohamed El Aaraby and Italy’s Eyob Faniel around the 18^th of the 26.2 miles to claim his first World Marathon Majors title.

He had finished second to Geoffrey Kamworor in the 2019 New York race by 23sec.

"It was not an easy race, but I enjoyed it," Korir said.

Much had been expected of Ethiopia's multiple world and Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, the second-fastest marathoner of all time, on his New York debut, but he dropped off the pace early in the race.

Korir and fellow Kenyan Kibwott Kandie were side by side as they passed El Aaraby and Faniel, but Kandie - the world record holder in the half marathon - soon fell away.

El Aaraby, 11^th in the Tokyo 2020 marathon, finished second in 2:09:06 and Faniel was third in 2:09:52.

The men’s wheelchair race saw another victory for Tokyo 2020 champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland.

The 35-year-old finished out on his own to add another prize to a year that has seen him win four gold medals at the Paralympics and earn victories in the London and Boston marathons.

Hug finished in 1:31.24, more than six and a half minutes clear of Britain’s David Weir, with home racer Daniel Romanchuk third.

Madison de Rozario of Australia matched Jepchirchir’s achievement as she followed up her Tokyo 2020 Paralympic victory by winning today ahead of |past champions Tatyana McFadden and Manuela Schar.

The 27-year-old finished nearly three minutes clear in 1:51:01.