Swede Almgren Shatters NYC Marathon Records in Debut Victory

Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men's race at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, setting a new benchmark for the event's 50th anniversary. The 26-year-old finished the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second, a time that ranks as the third fastest in the race's history.

Almgren had previously competed exclusively in half-marathons before attempting the full distance. He separated from the lead group in the final mile, leaving Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy behind. Crippa crossed the line 13 seconds later. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho took third place, finishing just ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto.

The pace at the front of the pack was remarkably quick. Six runners finished with times under 2 hours and 7 minutes. This placed them within the top 10 all-time performances for the course. Almgren said he focused on positioning rather than a specific time target.

“I just tried to stay up at front and see what happened and see how the race developed,” Almgren said. “I didn’t think it was going to be that quick of a finish, but I didn’t really know anything about that. One of the reasons I choose to race New York is that you don’t care about the time but just get as good a position as possible.”

Almgren earned $100,000 for his victory. He is the first runner to win his debut marathon in New York since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia did so in 2010. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, recording the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in the event's history.

In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya secured her second consecutive title. She overtook Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to finish in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36 seconds. Jessica McClain of the United States finished second, passing Obiri in the final strides. McClain trailed Chepkirui by six seconds.

McClain's result marked the first time a U.S. woman placed in the top three since 2018. The race featured approximately 60,000 participants, with nearly half being women. Runners from more than 140 countries competed in the event.

The 50th running of the marathon saw a minor course adjustment for the first time in 15 years. The route changed at Mile 20 as it entered the Bronx. The alteration reduced the number of turns in that borough from seven to five, aiming to ease street closures. The race originally began in 1970, with the first six editions taking place entirely in loops within Central Park.

Marcel Hug of Sweden 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. Catherine Debrunner, also from Sweden, won the women's wheelchair race in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 2 seconds. Susannah Scaroni, the two-time defending champion, finished third three months after giving birth to her first child.

The event history shows a dramatic expansion in participation. In 1976, the seventh running of the race included just over 2,000 competitors, with only 88 women. The race moved out of Central Park in the mid-1970s to help uplift the city and celebrate the U.S. bicentennial.