Almgren wins NYC Marathon debut as Chepkirui claims second title

Andreas Almgren of Sweden secured his first New York City Marathon victory on Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second.

The race traces its roots to 1970 when it began as a loop inside Central Park. Organizers moved the event out of the park in 1976 to coincide with the U.S. bicentennial. At that time, just over 2,000 runners competed, including only 88 women. The 2026 event marked the 50th edition to traverse all five boroughs, with nearly half of the 60,000 participants being women.

Almgren, who previously specialized in half-marathons, took the lead from Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy in the final mile. Crippa finished 13 seconds behind Almgren. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho placed third, finishing ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto. Almgren’s time ranks as the third fastest in the event’s 50-year history. The top seven finishers all posted times within the top 10 all-time records. He became the first runner to win the race on debut since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia in 2010. Zouhair Talbi of the United States finished sixth, setting the fastest time ever recorded by a U.S. runner in the event.

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women’s race for the second time, having also claimed the title in 2024. She beat Hellen Obiri of Kenya by 6 seconds in a 2:24:36 finish. Jessica McClain of the United States finished second, passing Obiri in the final strides. It was the first time a U.S. woman placed in the top three since 2018. Kipruto, who won last year by three-hundredths of a second, competed among runners from more than 140 countries.

Course organizers implemented a minor route change for the first time in 15 years. Runners took a different path at Mile 20 upon entering the Bronx. The adjustment reduced the number of turns in that borough from seven to five and lessened the impact of street closures. Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time, passing Daniel Romanchuk in the final 100 meters. Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:40:02, a time that stands as the second fastest in history. Susannah Scaroni finished third in the women’s wheelchair category, competing three months after giving birth to her first child.