Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men’s division of the New York City Marathon in his debut appearance on Sunday, while Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui secured her second victory in the women’s race. Approximately 60,000 runners participated in the landmark event, which marked the 50th time the course has traversed all five New York City boroughs.
Men’s and Women’s Highlights
Making his debut at the 26.2-mile distance after a strong half-marathon background, the 26-year-old Almgren broke away from Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final mile. He crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second, leaving Crippa 13 seconds behind, while Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho took third place ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto. Almgren’s performance marked the third-fastest time in the course’s 50-year history, with the top seven finishers all landing among the top 10 all-time times. He also became the first competitor to win their marathon debut in the event since Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam in 2010. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, setting the fastest time ever recorded by a U.S. runner in the race.
In the women’s competition, Chepkirui secured her second title after previously winning in 2024. She pulled away from compatriot Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to finish in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain passed Obiri, a two-time winner, in the final strides to claim second place just 6 seconds behind Chepkirui. This achievement marked the first time a U.S. woman finished in the top three since 2018.
Wheelchair Division and Event History
Marcel Hug triumphed in the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time, defeating Daniel Romanchuk by slightly more than a second. Romanchuk had taken the lead during the final mile as they entered Central Park, but Hug overtook him in the final 100 meters. In the women’s wheelchair race, Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner dominated early to win in 1:40:02, recording the second-fastest time in event history just behind her own 2023 mark. Two-time defending champion Susannah Scaroni finished third, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner, three months after giving birth to her first child.
Sunday’s field featured competitors from more than 140 countries, with nearly half of the 60,000 participants being women. The race has grown significantly since its 1970 origins, where it was held entirely within Central Park for the first six years before moving citywide in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial. Organizers also introduced a minor course alteration at Mile 20 in the Bronx for the first time in 15 years, reducing the number of turns from seven to five to minimize local street closures.
