Almgren Makes History on Marathon Debut, Chepkirui Clinches Second New York Crown

Sweden's Andreas Almgren made a remarkable marathon debut by winning the men's race at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, while Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui secured her second women's title at the prestigious event.

Almgren, who previously built a successful career competing in half-marathons, completed the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. He pulled away from Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final mile, finishing 13 seconds ahead of his closest rival. Crippa claimed second place, while Lesotho's Kamohelo Mofolo finished third, narrowly beating defending champion Benson Kipruto.

Almgren recorded the third-fastest time in the course's 50-year history and became the first runner to win the New York City Marathon on his debut since Ethiopia's Gebre Gebremariam achieved the feat in 2010. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, setting the fastest time ever by a US runner in the event.

In the women's race, Chepkirui clocked 2:24:36, pulling away from compatriot Hellen Obiri in the final 150 metres. American Jessica McClain finished second, just six seconds behind Chepkirui, while two-time champion Obiri took third. McClain's podium finish marked the first time an American woman had finished in the top three since 2018.

In the wheelchair category, Switzerland's Marcel Hug claimed his eighth men's title after overtaking Daniel Romanchuk in the final 100 metres. Sweden's Catherine Debrunner won the women's race in 1:40:02, recording the second-fastest time in the event's history. Two-time defending champion Susannah Scaroni finished third, three months after giving birth to her first child.

The marathon marked the 50th anniversary of the race covering all five boroughs of New York City. Around 60,000 runners from more than 140 countries participated, compared with just over 2,000 competitors in 1976. Organisers also introduced a minor course adjustment in the Bronx, reducing the number of turns from seven to five for the first time in 15 years.