Almgren Makes History at NYC Marathon with Debut Victory

Andreas Almgren of Sweden secured the men's victory at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, marking a historic debut for the 26-year-old. He finished the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second, a performance that stands as the third fastest in the race's 50-year history. Almgren broke away from Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy during the final mile to take the lead. Crippa crossed the line 13 seconds behind Almgren, while Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho finished third, narrowly beating the defending champion, Benson Kipruto.

Almgren's result is notable because he became the first runner to win the race in his debut since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia in 2010. The top seven finishers in the men's race all placed within the top 10 all-time times for the course. Zouhair Talbi of the United States finished sixth and recorded the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in the event.

In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya claimed her second title, having also won in 2024. She separated from Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to finish in 2:24:36. Jessica McClain of the United States finished second, passing Obiri in the final strides. McClain's finish was six seconds behind Chepkirui. This result marked the first time a U.S. woman placed in the top three since 2018.

The event coincided with the 50th iteration of the race running through all five boroughs of New York City. Approximately 60,000 participants started the race on Sunday, with nearly half being women. Runners from more than 140 countries competed in the field. This contrasts with the 1976 race, the seventh edition, which featured just over 2,000 competitors, including only 88 women. The race has grown from a small event into one of the city's major athletic gatherings.

Course modifications were implemented for this year's edition. For the first time in 15 years, the route changed at Mile 20 in the Bronx. The new path reduced the number of turns in that borough from seven to five. Officials made the change to ease street closures in the area. The race originally began in 1970, with the first six years held entirely in Central Park. It moved to the boroughs in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial and support a struggling city.

Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair race for the eighth time. He defeated Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second after passing him in the final 100 meters. Romanchuk had taken the lead in the last mile as they entered Central Park. In the women's wheelchair race, Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won in 1:40:02. Her time was the second-fastest in race history, about 30 seconds slower than her own record from 2023. Susannah Scaroni finished third, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner, three months after giving birth to her first child.