Van Dyk charges to New York hat-trick

Veteran athlete Ernst van Dyk showed good form on Sunday, in the build-up to next month’s Boston Marathon, winning the elite men’s wheelchair race at the New York City Half-Marathon for the third year in a row.

Van Dyk covered the 21.1km distance in 47:28, taking nine seconds off his own course record set in the Big Apple last season, adding to the titles he lifted in 2014 and 2015.

The 43-year-old Paralympic handcycling champion, focussing on wheelchair racing this year, is expected to target a record 11th victory at the prestigious Boston event, the world’s oldest race over the classic 42km distance.