A Debut Winner in New York: Almgren Takes the Marathon in 2:06:01, Chepkirui Wins Her Second Title
Sweden's Andreas Almgren won the New York City Marathon in his first race at the distance, and Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui outkicked Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters — on a day when nearly 60,000 runners filled the five boroughs and the top seven men ran among the 10 fastest times in the race's 50-year history.
New York — The fastest marathon debut New York has ever seen ended with a Swede alone in Central Park. Andreas Almgren won the New York City Marathon on Sunday in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second — in his first race ever at 26.2 miles — pulling away from Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final mile to win by 13 seconds, the Associated Press reported.
Almgren, a half-marathon specialist before Sunday, ran the third-fastest time in the course's 50-year history, and the depth behind him was historic: the top seven finishers all recorded times among the 10 fastest ever run in New York. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho finished third ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto, and American Zouhair Talbi took sixth with the fastest time ever posted by a U.S. runner in the event.
The women's race came down to the last 150 meters. Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya pulled away from countrymate Hellen Obiri to win in 2:24:36, her second New York title after 2024. American Jessica McClain passed Obiri in the final strides to finish second in 2:24:42 — the first top-three finish by a U.S. woman in New York since 2018 — with Obiri third in 2:24:43.
In the wheelchair races, Switzerland swept: Catherine Debrunner won the women's race in 1:40:02, the second-fastest time in event history, and Marcel Hug won the men's race for the eighth time, edging American Daniel Romanchuk in a sprint finish. Nearly 60,000 runners from more than 140 countries started the 50th running of the race through all five boroughs.
