Almgren wins NYC Marathon debut as 60,000 runners mark 50th anniversary
The Swedish runner took the men's title in a debut victory, while Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui secured her second win in the women's race.
By James Mitchell ·
Andreas Almgren of Sweden captured the men's title at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, winning his first attempt at the 26.2-mile distance. He pulled away from Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy in the final mile to finish in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. Crippa crossed the line 13 seconds later to take second place.
Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho finished third, edging out defending champion Benson Kipruto. Almgren’s winning mark stood as the third fastest in the event’s 50-year history. The top seven finishers all recorded times that rank among the top 10 all-time results for the course. Almgren became the first runner to win his debut race in New York since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia did so in 2010.
American Zouhair Talbi placed sixth, posting the fastest time ever recorded by a U.S. runner in the event. In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won for the second time after defeating Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters. Chepkirui finished in 2:24:36, six seconds ahead of American Jessica McClain.
McClain passed Obiri in the closing strides to secure second place. It was the first time a U.S. woman finished in the top three since 2018. Obiri, a two-time past winner, had previously won the 2024 edition of the race. The Sunday event marked the 50th running of the marathon through all five boroughs of New York City.
Approximately 60,000 runners started the race, with nearly half of the field being women. Competitors from more than 140 countries participated. The race has grown from just over 2,000 participants in 1976, when only 88 women entered. The event began in 1970 as a loop in Central Park before moving to the current route in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial.
For the first time in 15 years, the course underwent a minor change. Runners followed a slightly different path at Mile 20 in the Bronx, reducing the number of turns in that borough from seven to five. The adjustment aimed to ease street closures in the area.
In the wheelchair categories, Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's race for the eighth time. He passed Daniel Romanchuk in the final 100 meters to win by just over a second. Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won the women's wheelchair race with a time of 1:40:02. It was the second-fastest time in the race's history, trailing her own record from 2023 by about 30 seconds.
