New York Marathon: Swede Almgren and Kenyan Chepkirui win in front of 60,000 participants: NPR
Andreas Almgren of Sweden, right, approaches the finish line during the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Angelina Katsanis/AP
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Angelina Katsanis/AP
NEW YORK — Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men’s race at the New York Marathon in his debut in the event, while Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women’s race Sunday for the second time.
Almgren was making his debut at 26.2 miles after a successful career in half marathons. He pulled away from Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final kilometer to take victory in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. Crippa finished 13 seconds behind. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho finished third, ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto.
Almgren’s time was the third fastest in the course’s 50-year history, and the top seven finishers were all among the top 10 all-time fastest times. He became the first marathoner to win on debut in the event since Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam won the race in 2010.
American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth and posted the fastest time ever by an American runner in the event.
Chepkirui, who also won the race in 2024, pulled away from compatriot Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to seal victory in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain finished second, passing Obiri – a two-time winner – in the final strides. It was the first time an American finished in the top three since 2018. McClain was 6 seconds behind Chepkirui.
Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya competes in the women’s division of the New York City Marathon in New York on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Angelina Katsanis/AP
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Angelina Katsanis/AP
It was the 50th time that the race crossed the city’s five boroughs. There were just over 2,000 competitors in 1976, the seventh edition of the race, including only 88 women. Around 60,000 runners gathered at the start line on Sunday, almost half of whom were women.
Runners from more than 140 countries competed on Sunday, including men’s champion Kipruto. He won in thrilling fashion last year, edging out Alexander Mutiso by three hundredths of a second.
The New York City Marathon began in 1970 and for the first six years it was held entirely inside Central Park, with runners doing loops. The race was moved out of Central Park to celebrate the United States’ bicentennial and to help lift the struggling city. It ended up becoming one of New York’s signature events.
For the first time in 15 years, there has been a slight change of direction. Runners took a slightly different route at Mile 20 as the race entered the Bronx. This decision was taken to reduce the number of turns in the borough from seven to five and ease some street closures in the area.
Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time, edging Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second. Romanchuk attempted to take the lead in the final kilometer as the duo entered Central Park for the final time. Hug passed him in the last 100 meters to win.
Hug’s fellow Swede Catherine Debrunner pulled away from the pack early to win the women’s wheelchair race, finishing in 1:40:02. It was the second-fastest time in the history of the race, trailing her own mark by about 30 seconds from 2023. Two-time defending champion Susannah Scaroni finished third, three months after giving birth to her first child, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner.
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