‘90 Bloomday’s Champ Silva Captures Second Consecutive New York City Marathon

Braving a record-low temperature and fierce winds, German Silva of Mexico won the New York City Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first repeat champion in 10 years.

Kenya’s Tegla Loroupe also won the women’s division for the second consecutive year.

Silva, who won the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane in 1990, dedicated the race to his late father, and Loroupe had been running in memory of her sister, who died Oct. 30.

Unlike last year, when Silva made a wrong turn with about a quarter-mile remaining before getting turned around and beating countryman Benjamin Parades by 2 seconds in the closest finish in the race’s 26-year history, he was straight on course this time.

His time was 2 hours, 11 minutes - 21 seconds quicker than last year. Loroupe finished in 2:28:06.

The temperature at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island at the start of the 26-mile, 385-yard event was 40 degrees, matching the previous low, first set in 1981 and equaled in 1989 and 1992. The winds were gusting up to 55-60 mph, and the wind chill factor was a bitter 18 degrees.