Andreas Almgren celebrates winning the New York City Marathon on his debut (© AFP / Getty Images)
Andreas Almgren produced a remarkable marathon debut to take victory in the men’s race, while Sheila Chepkirui came out on top in a brilliant closing battle as she won her second women’s title at the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday (1).
As the World Athletics Platinum Label road race celebrated the 50th anniversary of its famous route through the city’s five boroughs, it was apt that the elite contests both produced gripping grandstand finishes.
Almgren, Sweden’s world half marathon champion and European 10,000m gold medallist, eased away from Italy’s Yeman Crippa in Central Park to win by 13 seconds in 2:06:01.
A fast finish by Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo saw him take third place in a PB of 2:06:26, pipping Kenya’s defending champion Benson Kipruto on the line.
The 2024 winner Chepkirui turned the tables on defending champion Hellen Obiri – who had beaten her 12 months previously – sprinting away from her fellow Kenyan to win in 2:24:36. The large Central Park crowds were also given reason to celebrate as USA’s Jessica McClain summoned a superb closing effort to take second place from Obiri by one second in 2:24:42.
McClain became the first US woman to finish in the top three in New York since Shalane Flanagan in 2018.
Almgren’s debut dominated much of the pre-race discussion and the running world was curious to see how the 31-year-old who began his athletics life as an 800m runner would fare over 26.2 miles.
Since breaking the European 5000m record in Stockholm last summer, his stock has continued to rise, with records on the roads accompanying 10,000m bronze at the World Athletics Championships last year before his history-making exploits this summer.
His European record of 58:06 on his way to the half marathon title at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September followed that commanding European 10,000m win in Birmingham, where he broke the championship record with 27:23.44.
But the marathon is a different animal entirely and he opted for the challenging championship-style set-up of New York for his first attempt. Almgren looked comfortable throughout and carefully placed himself well to strike in the latter stages.
It was not long after the large leading pack had passed through 10km in 30:52 that Kipruto eased to the front, but Almgren was right on his shoulder as the lead continued to change hands.
North American record-holder Conner Mantz and Crippa were in front 5km later in 45:51, at just under 2:09 pace, but it was USA’s Zouhair Talbi who provided the first test to his opposition, pressing the accelerator as he went through halfway in 1:04:01.
Crippa went with him, as did another marathon debutant – Patrick Kiprop of Kenya – and opened a 15-metre gap before being swallowed up by the field again. Talbi soon surged again, though, and tried once more just after the 25km mark on Queensboro Bridge, but each time his move was covered.
Kipruto's surge to cover mile 23 in 4:38 led to a breakaway group of four. All the while, Almgren appeared untroubled and, by the 40km mark, he was marginally in the lead ahead of Crippa, Kipruto and Talbi.
Talbi was the first to fall off the back before the going also got too fast for Kipruto, leaving it to the European contenders.
Crippa is also a European 10,000m champion as he won gold in 2022, followed by the European half marathon title in 2024. He also tasted marathon victory for the first time in Paris earlier this year and while he had to settle for second this time around, he was clearly delighted with his efforts.
As was Almgren, who eased his way over the line and roared with delight at a marathon debut that could barely have gone better.
It was perhaps no surprise to see the women’s race come down to a battle between Obiri and Chepkirui once again, and both were in the thick of the race from start to finish.
A cagey start suggested that Obiri’s course record of 2:19:51 was not going to come under threat in the still, sunny autumnal conditions, as she led the pack through the opening 5km in 18:23.
As the race unfolded it emerged that not only was the Kenyan challenge going to be particularly strong but that, in the form of McClain, Carrie Ellwood, Annie Frisbie, Paige Wood and debutant Weini Kelati, the US runners were going to make their presence felt.
It was McClain, in fact, who led what had become an 11-strong group through halfway in 1:13:52, on target for a finishing time of just under 2:28. It was at the 25km point where Obiri and Chepkirui began to edge slightly ahead but they were carefully tracked by Kelati as the pace increased.
The 46-year-old two-time world champion and 2010 New York winner Edna Kiplagat was still part of a lead group that comprised eight athletes but, as with the men’s race, eventually just four were left in contention.
Chepkirui’s every step was shadowed by Obiri as they put daylight between themselves and their pursuers Mercy Chelangat and McClain. But, as the front two tested one another while the miles ticked down, the US athlete would not go away and in fact began to close in Central Park.
With 400 metres to go, two-time world 5000m champion Obiri attempted to kick. Perhaps the injury scare she suffered in July had an impact, but Chepkirui was able to cover that move and started to surge clear, hitting the line first to add to her victory from two years ago.
McClain, team silver medallist in the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships, then seized her chance to snatch second, narrowly ahead of Obiri. Kiplagat finished fourth, just under a minute back.
Leading results
Women
Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:24:36
Jessica McClain (USA) 2:24:42
Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:24:43
Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:25:42
Mercy Chelangat (KEN) 2:25:46
Carrie Ellwood (USA) 2:26:28
Weini Kelati (USA) 2:26:51
Paige Wood (USA) 2:27:29
Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:28:34
Fabienne Königstein (GER) 2:28:49
Men
Andreas Almgren (SWE) 2:06:01
Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) 2:06:14
Kamohelo Mofolo (LES) 2:06:26
Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:06:27
Haftu Strintzos (AUS) 2:06:34
Zouhair Talbi (USA) 2:06:43
Ahmed Muhumed (USA) 2:07:08
Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:07:09
Ryota Kondo (JPN) 2:07:09
Ryan Ford (USA) 2:07:17
Conner Mantz (USA) 2:07:27
