Kenyan long-distance runner Hellen Obiri is looking to bounce back in 2027 after finishing third at the New York City Marathon, bringing her title defence to an end following a closely contested race against compatriot Sheila Chepkirui.
Obiri clocked 2:24:43 on Sunday, November 1, finishing seven seconds behind Chepkirui, who won in 2:24:36. American Jessica McClain finished second in 2:24:42, edging Obiri by just one second.
The result denied the Kenyan her third New York City Marathon victory in four years, but her performance came after months of disrupted preparations caused by an ankle injury sustained in July.
The injury affected her training programme and limited the time available to prepare for the demanding 42-kilometre race. Despite the setback, Obiri managed to remain in contention until the closing stages before Chepkirui pulled away.
After the race, Obiri acknowledged that she had given everything she had despite the physical challenges, congratulating her competitors for their performances.
"First of all, I congratulate the ladies. They did amazing work. For me, honestly, I give her all my best. I did everything to run a good race, but it was amazing to me, it was good work to me because I gave everything I had in the tank up to the last minute, up to the finish line," she said.
She also admitted that the final mile proved particularly difficult as she attempted to close the gap on Chepkirui.
"The last mile was so tough because I tried everything I can to push the pace but it seemed Sheila was so strong, to be honest," Obiri added.
The third-place finish came after an otherwise impressive season in which Obiri established herself among the leading contenders in women's marathon running.
She opened her 2026 campaign by winning the New York City Half Marathon on March 15 in 1:06:33 before making her London Marathon debut on April 26, where she finished second behind Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa in a personal best of 2:15:53.
She also finished third at the New York 10km in June, clocking 31:10, before her ankle injury interrupted her preparations for the marathon season.
Obiri's ambitions for 2027 also carry significance as she looks towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where she hopes to compete for Kenya again. She has previously identified winning a major marathon in 2027 as an important step towards securing a place on the Olympic team.
The Kenyan has already won two New York City Marathon titles, in 2023 and 2025, and finished runner-up in 2024. Her 2025 victory came in a course-record time of 2:19:51.
She now faces the task of rebuilding her preparations after an injury-affected season as she returns to the drawing board to strategise for 2027, with another major marathon campaign firmly in her sights.
