Unlike the men’s wheelchair race, the women’s division was a dogfight between Manuela Schar, 36, the defending champion from Switzerland, Tatyana McFadden, 32, a five-time New York City champion, and de Rozario, 27.
It was de Rozario’s third time racing in the New York City Marathon.
At the halfway point, McFadden poked ahead by about five seconds. McFadden pushed up the Queensboro Bridge spanning Queens and Manhattan, with de Rozario a few seconds behind. Schar fell much further back.
But after McFadden hit the peak of the bridge and began to glide down, de Rozario sped past her.