NYC Marathon: Lance Armstrong calls race “more than I could chew”

Despite calling the New York City Marathon “the hardest physical thing I have ever done”, Lance Armstrong completed the race in an impressive 2 hours, 59 minutes and 36 seconds. Known more for his seven Tour de France victories than for his leg kick, Armstrong set a goal for completing the race in under three hours. After he finished, with 24 seconds to spare, Armstrong showed the signs of pure exhaustion.

While Armstrong drew much of the attention at the annual marathon, Brazilian Marilson Gomes dos Santos completed the perfect run to become the first South American to win the men’s marathon in its long history, finishing in 2:09:58.

On the women’s side it was business as usual for the defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka. The Latvian crossed the finish line inside Central Park at 2:25:05.

As for the 35-year-old Armstrong, when asked if he would run another marathon, he answered “The answer now is no, I'll never be back. But I reserve the right to change my mind.”