Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui reclaimed the New York City Marathon women's title on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after pulling away from compatriot and defending champion Hellen Obiri in the closing stages to secure her second victory at the prestigious race.
Chepkirui crossed the finish line in 2:24:36, completing a remarkable return to the top two years after winning the 2024 edition. Her victory came at the expense of Obiri, who had denied her a second consecutive title in 2025 after setting a course record of 2:19:51.
The two Kenyans separated themselves from the leading pack with approximately four miles remaining, setting up another contest between the previous two champions.
Obiri stayed close to Chepkirui throughout the final stretch and appeared positioned to challenge for another victory. However, Chepkirui responded when the defending champion attempted to accelerate, pulling away in the closing 400 metres to take the win.
American Jessica McClain produced a late surge to overtake Obiri in the final moments, finishing second in 2:24:42, six seconds behind Chepkirui. Obiri settled for third in 2:24:43, just one second behind McClain.
Speaking after the race, Chepkirui acknowledged the difficulty of the closing stages, particularly with Obiri pushing her all the way to the finish.
"The last mile was really tricky and I had to be patient because I knew Hellen was really strong, so I had to really push up to the finish line," she said.
McClain's second-place finish was equally significant, making her the first American woman to reach the women's open division podium at the New York City Marathon since Shalane Flanagan finished third in 2018.
Kenya also had a strong representation among the leading finishers, with two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat finishing fourth in 2:25:42, followed by compatriot Mercy Chelangat in fifth after clocking 2:25:46.
The victory marked Chepkirui's second New York City Marathon crown in three years, further strengthening Kenya's presence in one of the world's leading marathon competitions.
The 2026 edition also marked the 50th anniversary of the marathon's five-borough course, which takes runners through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan before finishing in Central Park. The event attracted approximately 60,000 runners from more than 140 countries, making it another major celebration of distance running in New York.
In the men's elite race, Sweden's Andreas Almgren claimed victory in 2:06:01 on his marathon debut, finishing ahead of Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa (2:06:14) and Lesotho's Kamohelo Mofolo (2:06:26). Kenya's defending champion Benson Kipruto narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in 2:06:27.
Chepkirui's victory restored her position as New York City Marathon champion after losing the title to Obiri last year, while Kenya's strong showing, with three athletes finishing in the women's top five, underlined the country's continued strength in long-distance running.
