Olympic runner Shalane Flanagan edged out Kenyan rival Mary Keitany on Sunday to become the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977.

Flanagan, 36, clocked an unofficial time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 53 seconds — beating out Keitany, a three-time New York City Marathon winner, by a minute.

Flanagan cried and screamed ecstatically as she approached the finish line. She then wrapped herself in an American flag as she fell to her knees.

The four-time Olympian has been a leading female distance runner for the past decade, winning a silver medal in the 10,000 meter race in 2008.

She first ran the New York City Marathon in 2010, coming in second.

The last American woman to take the gold was Miki Gorman, who came in with two consecutive wins, in 1976 and 1977.

With Post Wires