Almgren Wins Men’s Debut, Chepkirui Takes Women’s Title at 2026 TCS New York City Marathon

NEW YORK CITY — Thousands of runners crossed New York City’s five boroughs Sunday as the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon filled the streets with cheering spectators, determination and celebration.

Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s race in his New York City Marathon debut, while Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui captured the women’s title for the second time.

Almgren, who built a successful career in the half-marathon distance, was competing in his first 26.2-mile race. He pulled away from Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa during the final mile and finished in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second. Crippa was 13 seconds back. Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo placed third, narrowly beating defending champion Benson Kipruto.

Almgren posted the third-fastest time in the course’s 50-year history. The top seven finishers all recorded times that rank among the 10 fastest ever on the course. He also became the first runner to win the New York City Marathon in his debut since Ethiopia’s Gebre Gebremariam did so in 2010.

American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, recording the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in the event.

Chepkirui, who also won in 2024, broke away from fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri over the final 150 meters to win in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain overtook Obiri, a two-time champion, in the closing strides to finish second. McClain ended the race six seconds behind Chepkirui, becoming the first U.S. woman to place in the top three since 2018.

Sunday’s race marked the 50th time the marathon has traveled through all five boroughs. Just over 2,000 competitors took part in the 1976 race, the event’s seventh running, including only 88 women. This year, about 60,000 runners reached the starting line, with women making up nearly half the field.

“I think the marathon is one of the best days in New York City. You see the humanity, everyone accomplishing these amazing goals and dreams,” said Jesse Hammerman of Staten Island.

Runners from more than 140 countries competed Sunday, including defending men’s champion Kipruto. He won last year’s race in dramatic fashion, edging Alexander Mutiso by three-hundredths of a second.

WABC anchors Liz Cho and Mike Marza were among the participants. They ran to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of their colleague Bill Ritter, who left the anchor desk in June after announcing his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.

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Cho and Marza honored Ritter throughout the race before sharing an emotional reunion with him after crossing the finish line in Central Park.

“I feel overwhelmed. It was the most spectacular experience,” Cho said.

“Thank you for this,” Ritter said.

This year’s New York City Marathon raised more than $100 million for charitable organizations.

“I’m just so happy. I love you, and we were able to do this and raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association,” Cho said.

The New York City Marathon began in 1970, with the first six editions held entirely inside Central Park as runners completed multiple loops. Organizers moved the course beyond the park in 1976 to mark the U.S. bicentennial and help lift the spirits of a city facing major struggles. The change helped transform the race into one of New York’s signature events.

Course tweak
For the first time in 15 years, organizers made a small adjustment to the course. At Mile 20, runners followed a slightly different route as they entered the Bronx. The change reduced the number of turns in the borough from seven to five and eased some street closures in the area.

Eight-time winner
Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time, holding off Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second. Romanchuk moved into the lead during the final mile as the pair entered Central Park for the last time, but Hug surged past him in the final 100 meters to secure the victory.

Hug’s Swedish teammate Catherine Debrunner pulled away from the field early to win the women’s wheelchair race in 1:40:02. It was the second-fastest time in event history, about 30 seconds behind the mark she set in 2023. Two-time defending champion Susannah Scaroni finished third, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner, three months after giving birth to her first child.