Buzunesh Deba, the runner up in the women’s race for the New York City Marathon isn’t just a Bronxite. She may be your neighbor.
The 195th Street resident finished just four seconds behind fellow Ethiopian and friend Firehiwot Dado at 2:23:19, according to the Daily News.
Deba and Dado rushed past Mary Keitany with about one mile of the 26.1 mile race to go. Keitany unwisely shot ahead at the start, and could not keep her pace.
Deba moved to the Bronx from Asella, Ethiopia six years ago as an 18-year-old after marrying Worku Bey, according to the New York Times. Bey, formerly an elite runner himself, quit to become Deba’s trainer.
This isn’t the first time Deba’s legs carried her to great finishes. Last year she won the Twin Cities Marathon and the Grandma Marathon in Minnesota, but her time for the New York City Marathon yesterday was her best ever. Deba had previously finished 10th and seventh in her hometown race.
Deba also told the Times her diet consists of broccoli, potatoes, rice, and sometimes chicken. When she’s not running, she admires at the zebras at the nearby Bronx Zoo.
On the men’s side, Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai won the marathon in grand fashion. At 02:05:06, he smashed the previous record for the marathon by 2:37.