Amanda McGrory of the United States celebrates as she finishes...

Amanda McGrory of the United States celebrates as she finishes first in the Women's Wheelchair Division at the 42nd ING New York City Marathon in Central Park. (Nov. 6, 2011) Credit: Getty Images

Amanda McGrory of the United States set a course record in the women's wheelchair race, while Masazumi Soejima of Japan won the men's race and Firehiwot Dado of Ethiopia won the women's race in a stunning comeback at the New York City Marathon.

Dado trailed London Marathon champ Mary Keitany by nearly 2½ minutes at the 15-mile mark but passed her with about a mile left for her first major marathon victory. The 27-year-old Dado won in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 23, minutes 15 seconds — almost a minute better than her previous personal best.

Fellow Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba, who lives in the Bronx, was second for her first podium finish at a major marathon, four seconds back.

Keitany was third, 24 seconds back. The Kenyan was well under course-record pace for much of the race but faded badly over the final miles.

The 25-year-old McGrory of Champaign, Ill., finished the 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs of New York in 1 hour, 50 minutes, 24 seconds.

McGrory, a four-time Paralympic medalist, also won the Paris and London Marathons one week apart this year. She was followed by Shelly Woods of Britain (1:52:52) and Tatyana McFadden of the United States (1:52:52).

The 41-year-old Soejima finished in 1:31:41, followed by Kurt Fearnley of Australia (1:33:56) and Kota Hokinoue of Japan (1:34:22).

The previous women's course record was set by Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland in 1:52:38 in 2007.

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