New York Marathon, Almgren wins on his first-ever marathon
· BehindLines newsroom · Updated
On Sunday 1 November 2026, the New York City Marathon produced two tight finishes. In the men's race, Sweden's Andreas Almgren won in his very first marathon. In the women's race, Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui took a second New York title. The men's and women's placings match those published by World Athletics; NYRR confirms the four winners.
A debutant's win in the men's race
According to Yahoo Sports, Almgren crossed the line in 2:06:01. Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa was second in 2:06:14, 13 seconds later, and Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho third in 2:06:26. Kenya's Benson Kipruto, the 2025 winner, finished fourth in 2:06:27, one second off the podium, according to Marathon Journal. The top three were separated by 25 seconds.
Also according to Yahoo Sports, the lead changed hands often and Almgren only emerged in the final kilometres, running his last mile in 4:30. The site adds that he had already won the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships in September and the European 10,000m title in August, setting records at both. Those two titles therefore predate this race; only the New York win is recent. Quoted by Yahoo, he said a marathon debut could hardly have gone better.
Chepkirui edges out McClain and Obiri
In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui won in 2:24:36, her second New York title after the one in 2024. American Jessica McClain was second in 2:24:42 and Kenya's Hellen Obiri, the defending champion, third in 2:24:43: six seconds separate first from second, seven from third.
According to Flotrack, ten women were bunched within little more than a second at halfway, with four Americans in the top four places (McClain among them) and Obiri fifth; Chepkirui and Edna Kiplagat, also former winners, were in the group. Chepkirui led at 15, 30 and 40 kilometres, where she had almost no margin over Obiri. In the closing metres McClain caught Obiri and took second place by one second, according to Bleacher Report, which describes her as the first American woman on the New York podium since 2018.
The wheelchair races
Switzerland's Marcel Hug won in 1:28:14, about one second ahead of American Daniel Romanchuk; Yahoo Sports gives 1.13 seconds. Yahoo Sports and Flotrack count it as his eighth New York title. In the women's race, his compatriot Catherine Debrunner won in 1:40:02 for a second title, well clear of Tatyana McFadden (1:48:28), second according to Marathon Journal.
What to keep in mind
This was the 55th edition of the marathon, according to Stadion Actu and Yahoo Sports (which cites the EFE agency). The 50th anniversary concerns the course through the five boroughs, first run in 1976, according to NYRR. On 2 November, NYRR announced 61,146 finishers, a world record according to the organiser; that count remains subject to final results verification. The sporting interest lies mainly in the tiny gaps between places: one second separates Kipruto from the podium in the men's race, and three women finished within seven seconds.