Swedish runner takes New York City Marathon title

Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the New York City Marathon on Sunday with a time of 2:06:01. The 31-year-old finished 13 seconds ahead of Italy's Yeman Crippa. This result marks the first time a Swedish man has claimed the title.

Almgren moved into the lead within the final mile of the course inside Central Park. He secured his advantage over Crippa and the defending champion, Benson Kipruto of Kenya. Kipruto crossed the line in fourth place. Lesotho's Kamohelo Mofolo took third place in 2:06:26, finishing one second ahead of Kipruto.

The race featured a strong early performance from Peter Lynch of Ireland. The 28-year-old from Kilkenny passed the halfway mark in 1:04:11. At that point, he trailed Almgren by only 10 seconds. Lynch eventually finished 19th with a time of 2:10:03. This result falls short of his Irish record of 2:06:08, which he set at the London Marathon in April.

In the women's division, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya took the victory in 2:24:36. Jessica McClain of the United States finished second in 2:24:42. She edged out Hellen Obiri of Kenya, the defending champion, by one second with a time of 2:24:43.

Almgren receives $100,000 for his win. He joins a short list of European-born men's winners, following Italy's Giacomo Leone in 1996. Last September, Almgren became the first non-African man to win the World Half Marathon gold in 30 years. He also captured the European 10,000m title in Birmingham in August.

The next major event on the calendar is the London Marathon, scheduled for early April 2027. Organizers will confirm the start times and course details in the coming weeks. Almgren and Crippa are expected to defend their positions in future championship races.