Almgren and Chepkirui Claim Open Titles at NYC Marathon

Andreas Almgren and Sheila Chepkirui Claim Open Titles at the 50th Anniversary TCS New York City Marathon

Nearly 60,000 athletes took to the streets on November 1, 2026, for the TCS New York City Marathon, marking a major milestone for the iconic five-borough course. NYRR reported that this year’s race celebrated the 50th anniversary of the course first run in 1976 to honor the nation’s Bicentennial. Amidst more than two million spectators and favorable racing conditions, elite fields delivered historic performances across the open and wheelchair divisions.

Sweden’s Andreas Almgren secured a victory in the men’s open division during his debut at the distance. The 2026 World Athletics Half Marathon champion and European 10,000-meter champion crossed the finish line first, becoming the first open division man to win in his marathon debut since Gebre Gebremariam in 2010. Almgren stayed with the lead pack through the first 25 miles before making a decisive surge with one mile remaining, outlasting Italy’s Yeman Crippa and Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho. Almgren’s win marks the first time a Swede has won any division at the TCS New York City Marathon.

This is my first marathon. I don’t really know how it’s supposed to feel. So at 32K, [I thought] I’m tired [and that] I was supposed to feel a lot better. Then with 5K left, I started feeling [that it was] pretty easy to respond to the moves. So somewhere around there, I felt like, [it] might be my day, actually. — Andreas Almgren

Behind the leaders, an exceptionally strong American men’s contingent placed four runners in the top 11, running the four fastest times ever by American men in New York. Zouhair Talbi, the top American at the 2026 Boston Marathon, led the domestic charge by taking sixth overall in 2:06:43. He was followed by debutant Ahmed Muhumed in eighth at 2:07:09, Ryan Ford taking 10th in 2:07:17, and Conner Mantz finishing 11th in 2:07:27.

Chepkirui Returns to the Top in the Women’s Race

In the women’s open division, Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui reclaimed the crown, winning her second title in three years in a time of 2:24:36. The battle for the remaining podium spots unfolded in the final meters. American Jess McClain surged from behind to outsprint last year’s champion and event record holder, Hellen Obiri of Kenya. McClain’s performance secured her highest career finish at an Abbott World Marathon Majors race and made her the first American woman to podium in the open division since Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan placed third in 2018.

Further down the women’s field, Carrie Ellwood placed sixth in 2:26:28, Weini Kelati finished seventh in 2:26:51 during her long-awaited marathon debut, and Paige Wood took eighth in 2:27:29.

Swiss Dominance in the Wheelchair Division

Switzerland’s Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner maintained their stronghold on the wheelchair division. Hug captured his eighth TCS New York City Marathon title with a time of 1:28:14, extending his record. He outlasted American Daniel Romanchuk, a three-time champion here, by a single second. Debrunner delivered a commanding performance in the women’s wheelchair race, crossing the finish line nearly eight and a half minutes ahead of American Tatyana McFadden, who has won the race five times.

The race was very close. Daniel was very strong today … He was always with me. I tried not to give up. He had a little gap, then [I] tried to not give up. Just a few meters before the finish, I caught him again, [so it was a] good win [and] I’m very happy. — Marcel Hug

Notable Strides Across the Five Boroughs

Beyond the elite podiums, the 2026 race featured prominent figures and inspiring human-interest participants. Casey Neistat finished in 2:57:25, while Dylan Efron crossed in 3:28:11 as part of Team New Balance. Jennifer Connelly completed the course in 3:40:09 in support of Fred’s Team for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hanna Born, a 9/11 survivor who was in the Pentagon daycare during the attacks, finished in 3:58:10 through her Run to Remember 2,977 initiative. Antoni Porowski ran in 4:22:15 for City Harvest, Tiki Barber finished in 5:11:49, and 80-year-old Bronx resident Mildred Baker completed her first full marathon in 7:03:49 as part of Team Inspire.