Team Invacare's Kurt Fearnley has won his fourth straight New York City Marathon in spectacular fashion and Edith Hunkeler made history by winning her fifth women's wheelchair title here in 1:58:15. The Swiss star also won in 2004, ’05, ’07 and ’08.

Fearnley edged South African veteran Krige Schabort in a photo finish, with both racers stopping the clock in 1 hour 35 minutes 58 seconds. Marcel Hug of Switzerland out sprinted a pack of athletes to finish third, more than four minutes behind the lead two.

An exhausted Fearnley was overjoyed with the result.

"I couldn't be happier," Fearnley said.

"That was one of the hardest races I have ever pushed and to finish in front is amazing," he added.

It was a two-man race from early on with Fearnley and Schabort clearing from the pack in the first five kilometres. By the half-way mark they had built up a lead of more than two minutes and continued to pull away as the race continued.

Nothing could split the duo as they entered Central Park steaming towards the finish line. With fifty metres to go the athletes pulled side-by-side before Fearnley surged to snatch the win by the narrowest of margins.

"I can't believe it came down to the last metre," Fearnley said.

"I attacked more than a dozen times during the race and tried to get a bit of a lead, but I couldn't break him down.

"We've both had success here before and know the course well, and it's as if Krige knew when I'd attack and vice versa when he had a go. With all the toing and froing we ended up nullifying each other and not even the clock could split us.

"To finish a race like that as the winner is incredibly satisfying and it's a great way to round out the year," he added.

Fearnley finished 2009 unbeaten, with six marathon wins from six starts – from Seoul, Paris and London, to Sydney, Chicago and New York.

Despite rounding out his racing year, Fearnley now faces his biggest challenge of 2009 and perhaps his life, by crawling Papua New Guinea's Kokoda Track.