Almgren and Chepkirui Capture NYC Marathon Titles in 50th Anniversary Edition

Andreas Almgren of Sweden defeated Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy in the closing mile to win the men's New York City Marathon on Sunday. The 26.2-mile race marked Almgren's debut in the event, a transition from a career focused on half-marathons. He crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second, a time that ranks as the third fastest in the course's 50-year history. Crippa finished 13 seconds behind Almgren, while Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho took third place. Mofolo edged out defending champion Benson Kipruto, who won last year by a margin of three-hundredths of a second.

In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya secured her second victory at the event. She pulled ahead of Hellen Obiri, also from Kenya, in the final 150 meters to finish in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain finished second, passing Obiri in the final strides. McClain, who was six seconds behind the winner, became the first U.S. woman to place in the top three since 2018. The top seven men in the race all posted times within the top 10 all-time records for the course.

The 50th edition of the marathon drew approximately 60,000 participants, a sharp increase from the just over 2,000 runners in 1976. That early field included only 88 women. This year, nearly half of the competitors were women, representing more than 140 countries. The race has been held annually since 1970, with the first six years taking place entirely within Central Park. The route expanded to include all five boroughs in 1976 to mark the U.S. bicentennial and support a struggling city.

Organizers implemented a minor course change for the first time in 15 years. Runners followed a slightly different path at Mile 20 upon entering the Bronx. The adjustment reduced the number of turns in the borough from seven to five, aiming to ease street closures in the area.

In the wheelchair divisions, Marcel Hug of Sweden won the men's race for the eighth time. He overtook Daniel Romanchuk in the final 100 meters to enter Central Park, finishing by a margin of just over a second. Romanchuk had taken the lead in the final mile. Catherine Debrunner of Sweden won the women's wheelchair race in 1:40:02. Her time was the second fastest in the event's history, trailing her own record from 2023 by about 30 seconds. Susannah Scaroni finished third in the women's wheelchair race, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner. Scaroni competed three months after giving birth to her first child.

Zouhair Talbi of the United States finished sixth in the men's race, recording the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in the event's history.