New York Marathon: Almgren Wins on Debut, Chepkirui Survives 7-Second Scare

New York: Both elite races at the New York City Marathon were decided in the final kilometres. In the men's race, 31-year-old Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the title in 2 hours 06 minutes 01 seconds — on his very first career marathon. In the women's race, 35-year-old Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya completed the course in 2:24:36 to claim her second New York Marathon victory.

The margins show how tight the racing was. The top three men were separated by just 25 seconds in total, while the three women's medallists finished within 7 seconds of each other. Such small gaps over 42.195 kilometres are rare and make clear that both races were settled only in the closing kilometres.

Men's race: the entire podium decided by 25 seconds

Behind Almgren, Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy took second in 2:06:14, 13 seconds behind the winner. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho was third in 2:06:26 — 12 seconds behind Crippa. The whole podium was thus covered by just 25 seconds.

That statistic tells a story of its own. In marathons, one athlete often breaks away mid-race and the rest are left chasing. That did not happen here. All three medallists stayed within sight of one another to the end, and the gaps were settled in seconds. Races like this are usually called tactical: positioning and the final surge matter more than raw pace.

First European-born champion in three decades

Almgren's win is historic too. He is the first European-born runner to win the men's New York Marathon since Giacomo Leone of Italy in 2026. Over the past three decades the title has been shared mainly among athletes from East Africa and North America.

It is worth noting that this figure is based on birthplace, not nationality. Many athletes who compete for European nations in long-distance running were born in East Africa. So "European-born" and "European national" are two different measures and can produce different results. This distinction matters for readers, because it determines how far the "three-decade drought" claim actually holds.

Almgren was already in strong form

Almgren, 31, was already in good rhythm before this win. In August he took the 10,000m gold at the European Athletics Championships, and in September he set the European half-marathon record. New York was his first full marathon.

Winning on debut suggests both his training and his race strategy were well tuned. His half-marathon experience and his 10,000m speed both came together on this course.

"I've got the legs today"

Almgren was emotional after the race. "I've got the legs today," he said. He also said he was "about to start crying". Crying after winning your first marathon is entirely natural. Both quotes convey his feelings, but they offer little technical information about how the race was run.

Women's race: three medals inside 7 seconds

Chepkirui's victory was just as close. Jessica McClain of the United States took second in 2:24:42, only 6 seconds behind the winner. Hellen Obiri of Kenya finished third, just 1 second behind McClain. The gap between first and third was therefore only 7 seconds.

One point should be made plainly: the women's race was far more competitive than the men's. All three medallists finished within 7 seconds, while the men's gap was 25 seconds. In the women's race, first and second were separated by 6 seconds and second and third by just 1 second. The outcome remained uncertain into the final few hundred metres.

"Obiri is a very strong competitor"

After her win, Chepkirui discussed her tactics and described Obiri as a "very strong" rival. Her comments matter because they provide the clearest picture available of how the women's race unfolded.

Obiri finished just 1 second behind the winner, which makes clear she was one of the main contenders. However, no details of her previous record are available in this report. That is a gap readers should keep in mind — a large part of the women's story remains open.

Chepkirui's second title

This is Chepkirui's second New York Marathon victory. The year of her previous win is not clearly available, nor is it clear whether she was the defending champion. What is certain is that remaining consistently competitive at 35 and winning a race as hard as New York again is evidence of her longevity.

Full results

Men: 1. Andreas Almgren (Sweden) 2:06:01; 2. Yemaneberhan Crippa (Italy) 2:06:14; 3. Kamohelo Mofolo (Lesotho) 2:06:26.

Women: 1. Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) 2:24:36; 2. Jessica McClain (USA) 2:24:42; 3. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) 2:24:43.

Race context

The New York Marathon runs through five boroughs — Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. The five-borough route is the race's identity, and on one day it links different parts of the city together. The bridges and elevation changes along the route make the course technically difficult, which is why times here are often slower than on flat courses.

What still needs checking

Where Almgren's time stands — whether it is a Swedish national record, whether it ranks among the fastest debut marathons — is not answered in this report. Nor is it clear who won the men's title last year or whether that runner competed here.

In the women's race, the relationship between Chepkirui and Obiri — who has beaten whom and how often, who was the defending champion — also remains open. Without that information, the story of the race is incomplete.

Weather and pace

To understand properly why the men's gap was 25 seconds and the women's 7 seconds, information on weather, temperature, wind and race pace is needed. That information is not available, so it is hard to say whether the race was slow or fast.

Conclusion

The essence of both titles is that this New York Marathon was settled in seconds. On one side, Almgren made history on his debut; on the other, Chepkirui defended her crown by 1 second. Chepkirui's win was the harder-fought by the numbers, while Almgren's was the bigger story. Both are true — and seeing them together is what gives the full picture of this race.