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 November 1 in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. It was his first marathon. He pulled away from Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final mile. Crippa finished 13 seconds back. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho placed third, just ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto of Kenya.

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's race for the second time in three years, finishing in 2:24:36. She broke clear of Hellen Obiri in the last 150 meters. American Jess McClain took second in 2:24:42, overtaking Obiri in the final strides. It was the first U.S. women's podium finish in New York since Shalane Flanagan in 2018. McClain's result also secured an automatic qualifying mark for the 2028 Olympics.

The race marked the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course. Approximately 60,000 runners started, the largest field in the event's history. Almgren, the reigning world half-marathon champion and a 2025 world 10,000-meter bronze medalist, became the first Swedish man to win a major marathon. He is also the first European man to win New York in three decades and the first debut winner since Ethiopia's Gebre Gebremariam in 2010.

Almgren, 31, has a background in data science. Injuries had interrupted earlier Olympic cycles when he ran the 800 meters. After the race he told broadcasters the marathon was "quite fun" and that he had not known what to expect. He waved to the crowd in the final meters once his lead was secure.

Chepkirui, 35, had won the 2024 edition. She and Obiri separated from the pack with about four miles remaining. Chepkirui said she had to push hard through Central Park. Obiri, who set the course record the previous year, finished third. Kenyan and American runners occupied the top nine places in the women's field.

American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth in the men's race and recorded the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in New York. Six men broke 2:07. The course remains one of the most demanding major marathons because of its bridges, hills and changing surfaces across the five boroughs.

Wheelchair winners were Marcel Hug for the men (his eighth New York title) and Catherine Debrunner for the women (her second). Prize money for the open winners was $100,000 each. Organizers reported strong weather conditions and large crowds along the route from Staten Island to the Central Park finish.

The results continue Kenya's strong record in the women's race while marking a breakthrough for European distance running on the men's side. Almgren has already indicated he intends to return to the marathon distance. McClain's podium places her among the contenders for the next Olympic cycle.