Sweden’s Almgren and Kenya’s Chepkirui Triumph at 50th New York City Marathon
Debutant Andreas Almgren and two‑time champion Sheila Chepkirui led the men’s and women’s fields as roughly 60,000 runners tackled the historic course.
Men’s race: A debut win that rewrites the record books
Andreas Almgren of Sweden captured the men’s title in his first appearance over the 26.2‑mile distance, finishing in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. He pulled away from Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final mile, leaving the Italian 13 seconds behind. Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo took third, edging out defending champion Benson Kipruto.
Almgren’s performance ranks as the third‑fastest time in the race’s 50‑year history, and the top seven finishers all belong to the all‑time top‑10 list. He became the first debut winner since Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam in 2010.
American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, posting the fastest time ever recorded by a U.S. runner in this marathon.
Women’s race: Chepkirui repeats, U.S. breakthrough
Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya repeated her 2024 victory, crossing the line in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds. She broke away from compatriot Hellen Obiri in the last 150 meters. American Jessica McClain finished second, passing Obiri in the final strides and marking the first U.S. woman on the podium since 2018, just six seconds shy of Chepkirui.
Wheelchair division: Swedish dominance continues
Marcel Hug secured his eighth men’s wheelchair title, edging out Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second after a late‑mile duel that saw Romanchuk take the lead before Hug reclaimed it in the final 100 meters.
In the women’s wheelchair race, Sweden’s Catherine Debrunner pulled away early to win in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 2 seconds, the second‑fastest time in race history and about 30 seconds slower than her own 2023 mark. Two‑time defending champion Susannah Scaroni finished third, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner, three months after giving birth.
Milestones and course tweaks
The 2026 edition marked the 50th run through all five boroughs. Participation swelled to just over 60,000 runners, with women comprising nearly half of the field, a stark contrast to the 1976 race that featured just over 2,000 starters and only 88 women.
Runners represented more than 140 countries, including defending men’s champion Benson Kipruto, who had edged Alexander Mutiso by three‑hundredths of a second the previous year.
For the first time in 15 years, the course was altered at Mile 20 in the Bronx, reducing the number of turns from seven to five to ease street closures.
Overall, the marathon delivered record‑setting performances, historic repeat victories, and a notable U.S. presence on the podium, underscoring the event’s continued growth and competitive depth.
