Swedish Runner Andreas Almgren Wins New York City Marathon

New York City Marathon Highlights

Andreas Almgren from Sweden emerged victorious in the men’s category of the New York City Marathon. Almgren completed the marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 1 second, making his debut at this 26.2-mile event, after showing promise in half-marathons. He managed to outpace Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa by 13 seconds, with Kamohelo Mofolo from Lesotho securing third place, just ahead of former champion Benson Kipruto. Almgren’s time is now the third fastest in the marathon’s 50-year history, with all the top seven finishers setting top 10 all-time records. Almgren is the first debutant to clinch victory since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia in 2010. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth and set a new record for the fastest time by a U.S. runner at this event.

Sheila Chepkirui’s Victory in the Women’s Race

Kenyan runner Sheila Chepkirui claimed the women’s title for the second time, previously winning in 2024. She pulled ahead of Hellen Obiri, her fellow Kenyan, in the last 150 meters and completed the race in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain clinched second place by overtaking Obiri in the final strides, marking the first time a U.S. woman has been in the top three since 2018, finishing just 6 seconds behind Chepkirui.

Race Evolution

This marathon marked its 50th event, traversing all five boroughs of New York City. Starting with 2,000 competitors in 1976, the race has grown to include about 60,000 runners, with nearly half being women. Participants hailed from over 140 countries, including last year’s men’s winner, Kipruto, who won by a razor-thin margin over Alexander Mutiso.

Course Revisions

For the first time in 15 years, a minor alteration was made to the marathon’s route. At Mile 20, as runners entered the Bronx, the course was adjusted to reduce turns from seven to five and simplify street closures in the area. The race initially began in 1970, entirely within Central Park, before expanding for the U.S. bicentennial to uplift the city.

Wheelchair Competitions

Marcel Hug claimed victory in the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time, narrowly beating Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second. Hug overtook Romanchuk in the last 100 meters within Central Park. Catherine Debrunner from Sweden won the women’s division, finishing early with a time of 1:40:02, the second-fastest in history following her previous record in 2023. Susannah Scaroni, a two-time defending champion, finished third, returning just three months after childbirth, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner.