Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui wins women's New York City Marathon in 2:24:36; Kipruto fourth in men's race

Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui won the women's race at the TCS New York City Marathon on 1 November 2026 in 2:24:36, taking back the title she first won in 2024 and beating the defending champion and fellow Kenyan, Hellen Obiri, over the final 400 metres. The times are from the leading results table in World Athletics' race report.

Jessica McClain of the US was second in 2:24:42 and Obiri third in 2:24:43. Kenyans took four of the first five places: Edna Kiplagat, the 2010 winner, was fourth in 2:25:42 and Mercy Chelangat fifth in 2:25:46. Viola Cheptoo finished ninth in 2:28:34.

In the men's race Benson Kipruto of Kenya lost the title he won in 2025, finishing fourth in 2:06:27. Andreas Almgren of Sweden won on his marathon debut in 2:06:01, 13 seconds ahead of Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa (2:06:14). Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho was third in a personal best of 2:06:26, one second ahead of Kipruto. Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, a two-time New York champion, was eighth in 2:07:09.

The women's result reverses the order of 12 months ago. At the 2025 race on 2 November, Obiri won in 2:19:51, which still stands as the course record, and Chepkirui was third in 2:20:24, World Athletics' results for that edition show. Obiri's run broke the course record of 2:22:31 set in 2003 by Kenya's Margaret Okayo. In 2024 Chepkirui won in 2:24:35, with Obiri second in 2:24:49.

This year's women's race began slowly. Obiri led through 5km in 18:23, and McClain led an 11-strong group through halfway in 1:13:52. At 25km Obiri and Chepkirui began to edge ahead, and in the end four women were left in contention: Obiri, Chepkirui, McClain and Chelangat.

McClain began to close on the two Kenyans in Central Park. With 400 metres to go Obiri, a two-time world champion over 5000 metres, tried to kick; Chepkirui covered the move and surged clear. McClain then took second place, narrowly ahead of Obiri, and became the first US woman to finish in the top three in New York since Shalane Flanagan in 2018.

Kiplagat, 46 and a two-time world champion, finished 1:06 behind the winner.

Chepkirui came to New York having won the Nagoya Women's Marathon in March. Her personal best is 2:17:29, and World Athletics lists her date of birth as 27 December 1990.

The men's pack passed 10km in 30:52, and soon afterwards Kipruto moved to the front. His 4:38 for mile 23 produced a breakaway group of four. Zouhair Talbi of the US was the first to fall back, and then the pace became too fast for Kipruto, whom Mofolo caught on the line for third.

Almgren, 31, began his career as an 800-metre runner. He is the world half marathon champion and the European champion over 10,000 metres, and set a European half marathon record of 58:06 at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September. He pulled away over the final 2.2 kilometres, the athletics site FloTrack reported.

Kipruto's time this year was faster than his winning mark of 2:08:09 a year earlier, when he beat his compatriot Alexander Mutiso by three hundredths of a second in what World Athletics called the tightest finish the event has ever seen. He is a four-time World Marathon Major winner and has a personal best of 2:02:16.

The race, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, marked the 50th anniversary of its route through New York's five boroughs.