Andreas Almgren and Sheila Chepkirui Win 2026 New York City Marathon

Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men's race at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on 1 November in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. The victory came in his first marathon. He finished 13 seconds ahead of Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho placed third in 2:06:26.

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's race for the second time in three years. Her time was 2:24:36. She pulled clear of defending champion Hellen Obiri over the final 150 metres. American Jess McClain finished second in 2:24:42, overtaking Obiri in the closing strides. Obiri took third in 2:24:43. McClain became the first American woman on the New York podium since Shalane Flanagan in 2018.

The race marked the 50th running of the five-borough course. Approximately 60,000 runners started. The men's lead pack remained intact through 35 kilometres. Almgren, the reigning world half-marathon champion, accelerated in the final mile and held the margin to the finish in Central Park. He is the first European man to win the New York City Marathon in three decades and the first Swede to win any major marathon.

Almgren told broadcasters he had not known how the distance would feel. When Benson Kipruto increased the pace with five kilometres remaining, Almgren said he still had the legs. His winning time ranks as the third-fastest in the event's history on the current course. Six runners finished under 2:07. Zouhair Talbi of the United States placed sixth in 2:06:43, the fastest time by an American man in the race. Conner Mantz, the American record holder, finished 11th in 2:07:27.

In the women's race Chepkirui and Obiri broke from the field with about four miles remaining. Chepkirui, the 2024 champion, sustained the effort through the final stretch. McClain closed strongly enough to pass Obiri for second. Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, the 2010 champion, finished fourth at age 46 in 2:25:42.

Wheelchair winners were Marcel Hug for the men, his eighth New York title, and Catherine Debrunner for the women, her second. The professional wheelchair races started from Fort Wadsworth at about 08:00 local time. Open-division waves followed.

Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Fiona O'Keeffe withdrew in the weeks before the race because of illness and hamstring surgery respectively. Their absence left the women's field without two of its highest-profile names.

Course records remain held by Tamirat Tola (2:04:58) for the men and Obiri (2:22:something previous) for the women. Almgren's debut win places him among the fastest first-time marathon winners in recent major-marathon history. The next major on the calendar is the Tokyo Marathon in early 2027.

Almgren indicated he intends to race the distance again. Chepkirui has now won New York twice. The results stand as official pending any timing review by New York Road Runners.