Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya win the New York City Marathon

NEW YORK (AP) — Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui used strong kicks in the final mile to pull away from their nearest competitors and both win the New York City Marathon for the first time Sunday.

Nageeye, who became the first runner from the Netherlands to win the men's race, was step-for-step with 2022 champion Evans Chebet before using a burst of speed heading into Central Park for the final time to come away with the win in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 39 seconds. Chebet finished 6 seconds behind.

“At the finish I was like, am I’m dreaming? I won New York,” Nageeye said.

He had run the New York race three times before with his best finish coming in 2022, when he was third.

“I know the course,” Nageeye said. “Today was two things: survive that race and my race is after 36 (kilometers; 22 miles). I was thinking like a cyclist, survive 36K and you’re going to win.”

Chepkirui was running New York for the first time and pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the women's race in the last stretch.

“Let me push the last mile, let me give it my best,” the Kenyan said. "When we were around 600 meters to go, I said to myself I have to push harder. When I saw Hellen wasn’t coming, I knew I was going to win and was so happy.”

Chepkirui, who started to run marathons in 2022, won in 2:24.35. Obiri finished nearly 15 seconds behind.

Obiri was looking to be the first consecutive champion since Mary Keitany of Kenya won three in a row from 2014-16. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya finished third, giving the African nation the top three spots.

Tamirat Tola, the men's defending champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist, finished fourth, right behind Albert Korir.

“I had a good year,” Tola told The Associated Press through a translator. “I won the Olympics and then to come back to New York after that, you know it's a tough course. I know that I expended a lot of energy. Around the 33-kilometer mark I felt my muscle tighten and my muscles just couldn't handle it.”

Tola, who set the course record last year, was looking to be the first back-to-back men's champion since Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won in 2011 and 2013. The 2012 race was canceled because of Superstorm Sandy.

The top Americans finished sixth in both races. Conner Mantz led the men and Sara Vaughn the women. Vaughn was in the lead group heading into Mile 20 when they entered the Bronx before she dropped off the lead pack.

Vaughn was geared up to run Chicago before COVID-19 kept her from competing in that race. She was a late addition to this marathon.

The day got started with an upset in the men's wheelchair race as three-time defending champion Marcel Hug was beaten by Daniel Romanchuk, who also won in 2018 and 2019. Susannah Scaroni won the women’s wheelchair race. It was her second victory in New York, also taking the 2022 race and giving Americans winners in both events — the first time that has happened.

The 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course took runners through all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. This is the 48th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in Central Park when it began in 1970. The first race had only 55 finishers while more than 50,000 competed this year.

A few hours after the top runners finished, it was announced that the Sydney Marathon would become the seventh world major marathon, joining Berlin, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, London and New York.

The weather was perfect to run in with temperatures in the lower 40s when the race started. Last year, it was 61 degrees when the race started.

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Abdi Nageeye, of the Netherlands, crosses the finish line to win the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui smiles after winning the women's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Runners cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Women's division winner Sheila Chepkirui, right, poses with men's divsion winner Abdi Nageeye, of the Netherlands, during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Abdi Nageeye, of the Netherlands, right, runs to crosses the finish line to win the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Abdi Nageeye, of the Netherlands, poses after winning the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Abdi Nageeye, of the Netherlands, crosses the finish line to win the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui crosses the finish line to win the women's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui crosses the finish line to win the women's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Abdi Nageeye, of the Netherlands, crosses the finish line to win the men's division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Susannah Scaroni crosses poses for photographs after winning the women's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

First place finisher Daniel Romanchuck, left, poses with second place finisher David Weir, of England, and Tomoki Zuzuki, of Japan, right, after winning the men's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Yuma Morii, of Japan, center, makes his way across the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with the elite men's division runners during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Yuma Morii, of Japan, right, makes his way across the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with the elite men's division runners during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Yuma Morii, right center, of Japan, makes his way onto the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with runners in the men's elite division make their way from the start line during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Yuma Morii, left, of Japan, makes his way onto the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with runners in the men's elite division make their way from the start line during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Yuma Morii, right center, of Japan, makes his way onto the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with runners in the men's elite division make their way from the start line during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Runners in the men's elite division make their way through the Brooklyn borough during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Runners in the men's elite division make their way through the Brooklyn borough during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Runners in the men's elite division make their way through the Brooklyn borough during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Runners in the men's elite division make their way through the Brooklyn borough during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Yuma Morii, right, of Japan, makes his way onto the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with runners in the men's elite division make their way from the start line during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Yuma Morii, of Japan, right, makes his way across the Verrazzano Narrows bridge with the elite men's division runners during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York.(AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Runners in the men's elite division make their way through the Brooklyn borough during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents breached Syria’s second-largest city Aleppo after blowing up two car bombs on Friday and were clashing with government forces on the city's western edge, according to a Syria war monitor and fighters.

It was the first time the city has been attacked by opposition forces since 2016, when they were ousted from Aleppo's eastern neighborhoods following a grueling military campaign in which Syrian government forces were backed by Russia, Iran and its allied groups.

Witnesses in Aleppo city said residents have been fleeing neighborhoods on the western edge of the city because of missiles and exchanges of fire. The government did not comment on insurgents breaching city limits.

Syria's Armed Forces said in a statement Friday it has been clashing with insurgents in the countryside around Aleppo and Idlib, destroying several of their drones and heavy weapons. It vowed to repel the attack and accused the insurgents of spreading false information about their advances.

Thousands of insurgents have been advancing toward Aleppo city since a shock offensive they launched on Wednesday, seizing several towns and villages along the way.

The offensive came as Iran-linked groups, who had backed Syrian government forces since 2015, have been preoccupied with their own battle at home.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the insurgents blew up two car bombs at the city’s western edge on Friday.

An insurgent commander issued a recorded message posted on social media calling on the city's residents to cooperate with the advancing forces.

Turkey state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the opposition insurgents entered Aleppo city center Friday. It said the insurgents “broke through the defense lines of the regime forces along the Hamdaniyya, New Aleppo, and Zahra axis on the outskirts of the city.”

It added the insurgents now control approximately 70 locations in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Syria’s state media reported earlier Friday that projectiles from insurgents landed in the student accommodations at Aleppo's university in the city center, killing four people, including two students. Public transportation to the city had also been diverted from the main highway linking Aleppo to the capital Damascus to avoid clashes, the report said.

Fighters also advanced on the town of Saraqab, in northwestern Idlib province, a strategic area that would secure supply lines to Aleppo.

This week's advances were one of the largest by opposition factions, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, and comes after weeks of low simmering violence. It is most intense fighting in northwestern Syria since 2020, when government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.

Syria’s Armed Forces said the insurgents are violating a 2019 agreement that de-escalated fighting in the area, which has been the last remaining opposition stronghold for years.

The war monitor Observatory said dozens of fighters from both sides have been killed in the battles that started Wednesday. The insurgents have seized control of more than 50 villages in their advance, which seem to have caught the government forces unprepared.

Hezbollah, the lead group in an Iran-linked alliance that has backed Syria's government, has been locked in a war with Israel that escalated since September. A cease-fire was announced Wednesday, the day the Syrian opposition factions announced their offensive. Israel has also escalated its attacks against Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria during the last 70 days.

“Hezbollah was the main force in the government’s control of the city,” said Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Observatory.

The insurgents reported earlier Friday that fighters had wrested control of the Scientific Research Center neighborhood, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the western outskirts of Aleppo city. Government-linked media denied the insurgents have seized it.

The Associated Press was not able to immediately verify the claims.

Insurgents posted videos online showing they were using drones in their advance, a new weapon they had not had previously in the earlier stages of their confrontation with government forces. It was not clear to what extent the drones were used on the battleground.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, reporting from Idlib, said insurgents attacked a military airbase southeast of Aleppo city with drones early Friday, destroying a helicopter. It said the opposition groups seized heavy weapons, depots and military vehicles belonging to the government forces during their advance.

Aid groups said the fighting has displaced thousands of families, and forced some services to be suspended. The opposition fighters said their offensive will allow the return of thousands of displaced people who were forced to flee government bombardment in recent weeks.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters since the 2011 protests against Bashar Assad’s rule turned into an all-out war.

Russia and Iran and its allied groups had helped Syrian government forces reclaim control of all of Aleppo that year, after a gruelling military campaign and a siege that lasted for weeks.

Turkey has been a main backer of an array of opposition forces and its troops have established military presence in parts of northwestern Syria. Separately and largely in the east of Syria, the United States has supported Syrian Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants.

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser contributed to this report from Ankara, Turkey and Albert Aji from Damascus, Syria.

A destroyed Syrian army tank sits in the village of Anjara, western outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Syrian opposition fighters ride in a truck as they enter the village of Anjara, western outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday Nov. 28, 2024, part of their major offensive on government-controlled areas in the country's northwestern Syria. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

A Syrian opposition fighter displays badges allegedly belonging to Syrian army officers uniforms in Anjara, western outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Syrian opposition fighters stand next to a government sign after entering the village of Anjara, western outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday Nov. 28, 2024, part of their major offensive on government-controlled areas in the country's northwestern Syria. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Syrian opposition fighters stand in formation after entering the village of Anjara, western outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday Nov. 28, 2024, part of their major offensive on government-controlled areas in the country's northwestern Syria. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Syrian opposition fighters get off a truck as they enter the village of Anjara, western outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, Thursday Nov. 28, 2024, part of their major offensive on government-controlled areas in the country's northwestern Syria. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)