On the 50th anniversary of New York City Marathon’s five-borough course, two debuts wrote themselves into history. Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men’s race in 2:06:01 in his first-ever marathon. Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya successfully defended her 2024 NYC title in 2:24:36, pulling clear in a seven-second sprint that left Hellen Obiri off the podium’s top step for the first time in two years. The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon delivered exactly the kind of race day a 50th-anniversary edition deserved.
2026 TCS New York City Marathon: At a Glance
- Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Edition: 55th running — 50th anniversary of the five-borough course
- Start: Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island
- Finish: Central Park, Manhattan
- Distance: 42.195 km (26.2 miles)
- Women’s Winner: Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) — 2:24:36
- Men’s Winner: Andreas Almgren (Sweden) — 2:06:01
- Organiser: New York Road Runners (NYRR)
Women’s Race Result: Sheila Chepkirui Defends Her New York Crown in a Seven-Second Thriller
Seven seconds. That is the gap that separated first from third in one of the tightest women’s finishes Central Park has seen in years. Sheila Chepkirui crossed the line in 2:24:36, just six seconds clear of American Jessica McClain (2:24:42) and seven ahead of defending champion Hellen Obiri (2:24:43), who came into Sunday as the woman to beat.
Chepkirui had been here before. The 35-year-old Kenya Defence Forces Corporal from Thika Barracks won this race on debut in 2024, clocking 2:24:35 to outsprint Obiri in the final mile. In 2026 she did it again, this time with a pack that stayed tight deep into the Bronx miles before the race broke apart. The final kilometres were vintage Chepkirui: controlled, patient and decisive at exactly the right moment.
McClain’s second place is a significant result for American marathon running. Obiri, who had won NYC in 2025 and Boston twice before that, will rue the pace of the final stretch. At 2:24:43 she ran a competitive time, just not competitive enough. Edna Kiplagat finished fourth in 2:25:42, with compatriot Mercy Chelangat fifth in 2:25:46, completing a strong Kenyan presence across the top five.
| Pos | Athlete | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheila Chepkirui | Kenya | 2:24:36 |
| 2 | Jessica McClain | USA | 2:24:42 |
| 3 | Hellen Obiri | Kenya | 2:24:43 |
| 4 | Edna Kiplagat | Kenya | 2:25:42 |
| 5 | Mercy Chelangat | Kenya | 2:25:46 |
Men’s Race Result: Andreas Almgren Wins New York City Marathon on His Debut — A Historic Moment for European Running
Before Sunday, no European-born man had won a World Marathon Major since Italy’s Stefano Baldini took Olympic gold in Athens in 2004. Andreas Almgren changed that in his very first marathon, running 2:06:01 through the five boroughs to become the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon champion. It is the kind of debut that comes around once in a generation.
The 31-year-old Swede arrived in New York as reigning World Half Marathon champion, having set a European record of 58:06 at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen just six weeks earlier. What made his preparation notable was the deliberate, methodical approach to a debut he had planned for over a year: long runs up to 40K, double training days and meticulous gut training to process roughly 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour. He picked New York specifically because of how its race tends to be run — tactical, bunched and decided late.
The script played out exactly as Almgren would have drawn it. Through Brooklyn and into Queens the lead group held together, all running 1:30:26 at the 30K mark. Then the Bronx miles did what they always do. The group splintered. Almgren moved when it mattered.
Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa (On) pushed hard to the end, finishing second in 2:06:14. Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo (McKirdy Trained) took third in a breakthrough 2:06:26 — and he did it on his 21st birthday, born on November 1 2005 — edging Kenya’s Benson Kipruto by just one second in fourth. Australia’s Haftu Strintzos (ASICS) came fifth in 2:06:34. Geoffrey Kamworor, who had led at 30K, faded to eighth in 2:07:09.
Note: These results are sourced from the NYRR live leaderboard. Final official times and placements will be confirmed by New York Road Runners. Check the NYRR results page for verified finishing data.
| Pos | Athlete | Nationality | Sponsor | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Almgren | Sweden | Nike | 2:06:01 |
| 2 | Yemaneberhan Crippa | Italy | On | 2:06:14 |
| 3 | Kamohelo Mofolo | Lesotho | McKirdy Trained | 2:06:26 |
| 4 | Benson Kipruto | Kenya | Adidas | 2:06:27 |
| 5 | Haftu Strintzos | Australia | ASICS | 2:06:34 |
| 6 | Zouhair Talbi | USA | ASICS | 2:06:43 |
| 7 | Ahmed Muhumed | USA | HOKA / Northern Arizona Elite | 2:07:08 |
| 8 | Geoffrey Kamworor | Kenya | Nike | 2:07:09 |
| 9 | Ryota Kondo | Japan | Mitsubishi Juko | 2:07:09 |
| 10 | Ryan Ford | USA | On Athletics Club | 2:07:17 |
Running New York yourself? Our complete NYC Marathon guide covers the course borough by borough, the best spectator spots, race week logistics and what to expect on the course that just produced these results. And if Sunday inspired you to register, read our 2027 NYC Marathon entry guide — every route in, from the lottery to guaranteed entry, laid out clearly.
FatMarathoner Take: Almgren winning a major on debut is the kind of result that reshapes what we think is possible for European distance running. For two decades the track-to-marathon transition from this part of the world has ended in near-misses and promising performances that never quite translated. Almgren did it first time out, having planned the move for a year and executed it with the patience of a far more experienced marathon runner. Chepkirui’s second NYC title in three attempts is a reminder that New York rewards the hilly-course specialists who do the gym work. And then there is Mofolo — 21 years old today, third at the New York City Marathon, representing Lesotho on the biggest road racing stage in the world. Three stories from one race. Not a bad way to mark 50 years of the five-borough course.
Image: Andreas Almgren competing for Sweden at the Stockholm Stadium in 2019, before his transition to the marathon. Photo: Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons