Hug wins final battle against Fearnley for 2016

The epic 2016 rivalry between NSWIS wheelchair racing star Kurt Fearnley and Switzerland’s Marcel Hug has come to a close, with Hug pipping Fearnley for victory of the third time in two months at the New York Marathon.

Just four weeks ago Fearnley was beaten in a photo finish at the Chicago Marathon by Hug, and in September was just a second behind the Swiss athlete in the race for the Paralympic wheelchair marathon gold medal in Rio.

The duo continued to be the class of the field, and proved yet again they are the strongest wheelchair marathon athletes in the world by beating third place finisher Josh George (USA) by more than three minutes.

Despite both Fearnley and Hug both clocking one hour, 35 minutes and 49 seconds, Hug’s wheel was just ahead on the line, giving him the win. Fearnley said it was again another hard-fought affair, admitting another second place was a bitter pull to swallow.

“That was a tough race and a tough result to take,” Fearnley told AAP.

“Full credit to Marcel, he’s had a tremendous year but I’m sick of seeing the back of his chair!

“It’s hard to get one win in a year and Marcel has had five. I managed an early one in Tokyo but couldn’t get around him in the final sprint for the last few.”

After wins in Tokyo and on the Gold Coast, as well as runner-ups at New York, Chicago, London and the Rio Paralympics and third at the Boston Marathon, Fearnley’s immediate focus is a break.

“It’s been a massive year and I’m looking forward to a break,” he said.

Fearnley also had the pleasure of cheering on his wife Sheridan in New York as she competed in her first marathon.