I’m sure I could think of a couple of thousand ways, many of which include espresso, to spend a Sunday morning in New York City than running 26.2 miles through all five boroughs. But on Nov. 1, nearly 60,000 people decided to run the New York City Marathon—again—like they have every year since 1970. Some were chasing a championship. Some were chasing a personal best. Others probably just wanted to finish before their feet decided to go on strike. And there are hosts of runners dressed in all kinds of costumes just out for a jog. And the crowd keeps everyone well cheered on. No matter who it is.
Who Won the 2026 NYC Marathon Men’s and Women’s Races?
The men’s winner was Andreas Almgren of Sweden, who covered the course in two hours, six minutes, one second. And I’m going to put an asterisk next to it because this was his first marathon. Not his first race, obviously. Almgren arrived as the reigning world half-marathon champion and European 10,000-meter champion. He’d spent years developing the engine. He just hadn’t taken it out for this particular 26.2-mile test drive.
The lead pack stayed together deep into the race, and Almgren waited until the final mile to make his decisive move. Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa finished second, thirteen seconds behind him, and Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho was third. Defending champion Benson Kipruto wound up fourth. That’s quite a debut, particularly on a course that includes bridges, hills, crazy potholes and enough turns to get you lost.
A Marathon Debut, Years in the Making
Before anybody decides the lesson is to skip marathon preparation, understand what a debut means here. Almgren wasn’t some guy who woke up last Thursday and discovered running shoes. He had world-class credentials at shorter distances. Moving up required applying an already extraordinary aerobic foundation to a longer event. A marathon is not merely two half-marathons stapled together. Fueling, pacing, muscular endurance, and how you respond after mile twenty all become rather important when your body starts negotiating terms of surrender.
The women’s race was even more entertaining near the finish. Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui reclaimed the title she’d won in 2024, finishing in 2:24:36. Defending champion Hellen Obiri was in the fight late, but American Jess McClain came charging from behind and passed her in the closing meters. Chepkirui won, McClain took second in 2:24:42, and Obiri was third one second later. McClain became the first American woman on the New York podium since 2018.
And if you think the only interesting athletes are the ones with the smallest numbers on the clock, the wheelchair divisions cranks them out! Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won his eighth New York title in 1:28:14, edging American Daniel Romanchuk by one second. Catherine Debrunner, also Swiss, won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:40:02, nearly eight and a half minutes ahead of Tatyana McFadden. Same city, same event, completely different demands on the athlete. The upper-body power, equipment handling, and tactical judgment involved deserve more attention than they usually get.
More Than One Kind of Champion
Then there’s Mildred Baker, an 80-year-old Bronx resident who took up running in her late seventies and completed her first marathon in 7:03:49. Seven freakin’ hours! No, Almgren is not the only champion. That’s the point. The marathon can be a world championship-level knife fight at the front and a personal expedition at the back. And a trade in between. You can appreciate both extremes without pretending they’re the same athletic achievement.
Secondly, I must admit that l like the way this race exposes a certain kind of gym stupidity: the assumption that only one type of physical performance counts. A Swedish speed merchant conquered a distance he’d never raced. An American woman stole second place in the final strides. An 80-year-old finished something most people wouldn’t even start. You’re actually, in one Sunday event, looking at the entire definition of fitness.
