Chepkirui Repeats in New York; Almgren Wins Marathon Debut

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's New York City Marathon on Sunday, securing her second title in the event. She crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 36 seconds.

The race concluded with a tight finish among the top three runners. Chepkirui pulled away from fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri during the final 150 meters. American Jessica McClain then overtook Obiri in the closing strides to claim second place, finishing just six seconds behind the winner. McClain's podium finish marked the first time a U.S. woman placed in the top three of this race since Shalane Flanagan in 2018. Obiri, a previous two-time winner of the event, finished third.

Andreas Almgren of Sweden captured the men's title in 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 1 second. This was his first competition over the marathon distance. He is the current world half-marathon champion. Almgren separated from Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa during the final mile and finished 13 seconds ahead of him. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho took third place, edging out defending champion Benson Kipruto. Almgren's time is the third fastest recorded on this course in its 50-year history. He is the first runner to win the New York City Marathon on his debut at the distance since Ethiopia's Gebre Gebremariam in 2010.

American Zouhair Talbi placed sixth in the men's race and set the fastest time ever recorded by a U.S. athlete in this event. In the wheelchair divisions, Marcel Hug won his eighth men's title in New York with a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes, and 14 seconds. He beat Daniel Romanchuk by just over one second after overtaking him in the final 100 meters of the course. Catherine Debrunner won the women's wheelchair race in 1 hour, 40 minutes, and 2 seconds, the second fastest time in the race's history.

The event marked the 50th time the marathon has been run through all five New York City boroughs. Approximately 60,000 runners started the race on Sunday, with nearly half of them being women. The field represented more than 140 countries. Organizers introduced a small course adjustment for the first time in 15 years near Mile 20 in the Bronx. The new route reduced the number of turns in that borough from seven to five and eased street closures in the area.

Susannah Scaroni, the two-time defending champion in the women's wheelchair category, finished third more than eight minutes behind the winner. She competed just three months after giving birth to her first child. The race concluded in Central Park, where the final stretches of both the elite and wheelchair divisions were decided.