1st American woman to win NYC Marathon in 40 years calls victory a 'pinch me' moment
Brendan McDermidReuters Flanagan
"I've been dreaming of a moment like this since I was a little girl "  Flanagan  said. "All athletes have these dreams and these visions and it's what motivates us to get out the door to train hard. I visualized a moment like this and so I was trying to soak it up  but I was also running a little terrified that I was going to get caught.
This is  Flanagan 's second New York City Marathon  and she finished the course with a time of 2 hours  26 minutes  53 seconds.
 Flanagan 's win comes just days after New York City was rocked with a terror attack that left eight people dead when a truck plowed into pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path in downtown Manhattan. The New York Police Department beefed up its security for Sunday's race in the aftermath of the deadly attack.
 Flanagan   who also competed in the Boston Marathon in 2013 when two bombs detonated near the finish line  said New Yorkers were on her mind during this weekend's race.
"I've been dreaming of a moment like this since I was a little girl "  Flanagan  said. "All athletes have these dreams and these visions and it's what motivates us to get out the door to train hard. I visualized a moment like this and so I was trying to soak it up  but I was also running a little terrified that I was going to get caught.
This is  Flanagan 's second New York City Marathon  and she finished the course with a time of 2 hours  26 minutes  53 seconds.
 Flanagan 's win comes just days after New York City was rocked with a terror attack that left eight people dead when a truck plowed into pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path in downtown Manhattan. The New York Police Department beefed up its security for Sunday's race in the aftermath of the deadly attack.
 Flanagan   who also competed in the Boston Marathon in 2013 when two bombs detonated near the finish line  said New Yorkers were on her mind during this weekend's race.