Sweden’s Andreas Almgren achieved victory in the men’s division of the New York City Marathon during his first appearance in the event. Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui claimed the women’s title, marking her second win.
Men’s Race Highlights
Almgren transitioned from half-marathons to the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. He overtook Yemaneberhan Crippa from Italy in the last mile to secure victory with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 1 second. Crippa finished 13 seconds later. Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo came in third, narrowly beating defending champion Benson Kipruto.
Almgren’s performance was noteworthy, achieving the third fastest time in the marathon’s 50-year history; the top seven finishers recorded among the top 10 best times ever. Almgren is the first marathoner to win his debut since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia in 2010. Zouhair Talbi from the USA finished sixth, setting a record for the fastest time by an American in the event.
Women’s Race Highlights
Chepkirui, the 2024 winner, surged past her fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters, finishing with a time of 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain placed second, surpassing Obiri — a two-time winner — in the last strides. McClain’s finish was significant as she became the first American woman to reach the top three since 2018. She finished 6 seconds behind Chepkirui.
The marathon ran through the city’s five boroughs for the 50th time. In its seventh edition in 1976, the race included just over 2,000 participants, with only 88 women. Sunday saw about 60,000 competitors, nearly half of whom were women.
Contestants hailed from over 140 countries. Kipruto, who won last year by a razor-thin margin against Alexander Mutiso, was among them. The marathon, initiated in 1970, was initially confined to Central Park for six years before expanding to bolster the city’s spirits during its bicentennial.
Course Adjustments and Wheelchair Race
This year’s iteration included a minor course alteration at Mile 20, modifying the Bronx route to reduce turns and street closures.
Marcel Hug captured his eighth victory in the men’s wheelchair race, overcoming Daniel Romanchuk in a competitive finish. Romanchuk briefly led in the final mile but was surpassed by Hug in the last 100 meters.
Catherine Debrunner, Hug’s Swedish compatriot, dominated the women’s wheelchair race, clocking 1:40:02 — the second-best time in event history. It trailed her 2023 record by roughly 30 seconds. Susannah Scaroni, twice a defending champion, took third place following the birth of her first child three months prior, finishing over eight minutes behind Debrunner.
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