Almgren Wins New York Marathon Debut as Chepkirui Reclaims Title

Swedish distance runner Andreas Almgren captured the men's title at the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2026, while Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui won the women's competition for the second time. Almgren secured victory on his marathon debut, marking a major achievement in his distance-running career.

Almgren completed the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. He finished 13 seconds ahead of Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa, while Lesotho's Kamohelo Mofolo claimed third place after edging out defending champion Benson Kipruto.

The Swedish runner entered the competition with an established background in half marathons and the 10,000 meters. Despite making his first appearance over the full marathon distance, he remained among the leading competitors throughout the demanding, hilly course.

Almgren made his decisive move during the final mile, pulling away from the leading group and building an advantage over his closest challengers. His comfortable lead allowed him to slow down near the finish line and acknowledge the spectators.

Reflecting on his unexpected emotional response to the victory, Almgren described the experience as particularly memorable.

"I've probably never felt so emotional after a race ever. With 5k left I felt like I had the legs today … I saw I had a pretty big gap [near the end of the race] and thought: ‘OK, just enjoy these last few hundred meters’, because this is not something a lot of people get to experience." Almgren said.

In the women's competition, Chepkirui secured victory in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds. The Kenyan runner, who previously won the New York City Marathon in 2024, separated herself from compatriot Hellen Obiri during the final 150 meters.

Chepkirui said patience was essential during the closing stages because Obiri remained a strong competitor. Her late acceleration ultimately secured another championship victory.

"The last mile was really tricky, I knew I had to be patient because Hellen was really strong so I had to really push up to the finish line. I am so happy." Chepkirui said.

American Jessica McClain finished second, six seconds behind Chepkirui. She overtook Obiri, a two-time race winner, during the final few strides to secure the runner-up position.

McClain's result also marked the first time since 2018 that an American woman had finished among the marathon's top three competitors.

Describing her performance, McClain acknowledged experiencing difficulties during much of the race but remained determined to finish strongly.

"It was a really fun, magical day out there. I really didn't feel great through 18 miles. I just had to stick with it.

I don't really know what happened but I couldn't be happier right now." McClain said.

The 2026 edition marked the 50th time the marathon had traveled through all five boroughs of New York City. According to the race organizers' reported figures, approximately 60,000 runners started the event, with women accounting for nearly half of the field.

The seventh running of the race also featured just over 2,000 competitors in the separate competition involving 88 women.