Almgren posts 2:06:01 debut to win NYC Marathon
The Swedish runner took the men's title in his first marathon, while Sheila Chepkirui defended the women's crown.
By Chiara Saeed ·
Andreas Almgren of Sweden claimed the men's title at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 1 second in his professional debut at the distance. The 26-year-old runner had previously competed exclusively in half-marathons before entering the 26.2-mile event.
Almgren separated from the field in the final mile, overtaking Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy. Crippa crossed the line 13 seconds behind the winner. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho placed third, finishing just ahead of the defending champion, Benson Kipruto.
The winning time marked the third-fastest performance in the course's 50-year history. Six runners completed the race in under 2 hours and 7 minutes, joining the top 10 all-time list for the event. Almgren received a $100,000 prize for his victory.
"This is my first marathon. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel," Almgren said. He added that he focused on positioning rather than a specific target time, noting that one reason for choosing New York was the opportunity to secure a strong placement without pressure from the clock.
Almgren became the first athlete to win the race in their debut since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia won in 2010. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth, recording the fastest time ever by a U.S. man in the history of the event.
In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya secured her second victory. She passed Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to win in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain finished second, overtaking Obiri in the final strides. McClain finished six seconds behind Chepkirui, marking the first time a U.S. woman placed in the top three since 2018.
The race marked the 50th edition held across all five boroughs of New York City. Approximately 60,000 runners started the event, with nearly half of the field being women. Participants represented more than 140 countries. The course featured a minor adjustment at Mile 20 in the Bronx, reducing the number of turns from seven to five to ease street closures.
Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair race for the eighth time, defeating Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second. Hug passed Romanchuk in the final 100 meters after Romanchuk had taken the lead in the last mile. Catherine Debrunner won the women's wheelchair race in 1:40:02, setting the second-fastest time in the event's history.
Source: KSAT-TV
