Sweden's Almgren wins New York City Marathon on debut; Chepkirui takes second title

Sweden's Andreas Almgren won the men's race at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, 1 November 2026. It was his first marathon. He finished in two hours, six minutes and one second, according to BBC and the Guardian.

Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa was second, 13 seconds behind. Lesotho's Kamohelo Mofolo was third.

Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui won the women's race in 2:24:36. It is her second New York City Marathon title. American Jessica McClain was second, six seconds behind.

BBC and the Guardian both describe this edition as a 50th milestone, but in different terms. BBC calls it the marathon's 50th anniversary. The Guardian says it was the 50th time the race ran through all five of New York's boroughs.

Men's race

According to the Guardian, Almgren pulled away from Crippa and defending champion Benson Kipruto in the final mile. He then jogged across the line while waving to the crowd. The Guardian reported that Mofolo edged out Kipruto for third. BBC reported that Mofolo finished 12 seconds behind Crippa.

BBC reported that Almgren is 31. It said he broke the European half-marathon record in September, after winning 10,000m gold at the European Athletics Championships in August. BBC also said he is the first European-born man in 30 years to win the race, after Italy's Giacomo Leone in 1996.

"I just thought, 'I've got the legs today'," BBC quoted Almgren as saying. The Guardian quoted him as saying: "This is my first marathon. I didn't know how I was supposed to feel."

Women's race

According to the Guardian, Chepkirui pulled away from Kenya's Hellen Obiri in the final 150 metres. The Guardian said her previous win came in 2024. BBC reported that she is 35.

McClain passed Obiri, a two-time winner, in the final strides, according to the Guardian. BBC reported that Obiri finished third, one second behind McClain. The Guardian said it was the first top-three finish by a US woman since 2018.

"The last mile was really tricky and I had to be patient because I knew Hellen was really strong," BBC quoted Chepkirui as saying. The Guardian carried slightly different wording of the same remark.

Wheelchair races

According to the Guardian, Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair race for the eighth time, just over a second ahead of Daniel Romanchuk. Catherine Debrunner won the women's race in 1:40:02. The Guardian described this as the second-fastest time in race history. Two-time defending champion Susannah Scaroni was third, more than eight minutes behind, three months after giving birth to her first child.

The Guardian reported that about 60,000 runners started the race, nearly half of them women.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include official results from the race organisers.

Analysis

Almgren's win on debut adds a marathon title to a season that, according to BBC, already included a European 10,000m gold and a European half-marathon record. Whether he moves fully to the marathon or continues on the track is not addressed in the reports. In the women's race, a six-second margin and a one-second gap for second place point to a close field. Several outcomes remain open for future races, including further contests between Chepkirui, Obiri and McClain. McClain's podium, which the Guardian said was the first by a US woman since 2018, may draw attention to American distance running, though its longer-term effect cannot yet be assessed.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.