A Great Day for the 50th Anniversary of the 5-Boro New York City Marathon
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon took place in ideal conditions while the race celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 5-boro course.
Andreas Almgren won the men’s open division in his debut at the distance, 2024 TCS New York City Marathon champion Sheila Chepkirui took her second title in the women’s open division, Marcel Hug captured a record-extending eighth victory in the men’s wheelchair division, and Catherine Debrunner added a second women’s wheelchair division title to her collection.
Almgren Wins in Debut
Almgren, the recently crowned 2026 World Athletics Half Marathon champion and 2026 European 10,000-meter champion, broke the tape in his marathon debut, the first open division man to do so since Gebre Gebremariam in 2010. The Swedish national record holder at 5,000 meters and half marathon stayed with the lead pack through 25 miles before making a move with one mile to go. Almgren’s historic victory marked the first time a Swede has won any division at the TCS New York City Marathon. Almgren outlasted Italy’s Yeman Crippa, a six-time European Championships medalist, and Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho, who celebrated his 21st birthday by becoming the first athlete from his country to place on the podium.
"This is my first marathon. I don't really know how it's supposed to feel. So, at 32K, [I thought] I'm tired [and that] I was supposed to feel a lot better,” said Almgren. “Then with 5K left … somewhere around there, I felt like, [it] might be my day, actually."
Four American men placed in the top 11, running the four fastest times ever by American men in New York. Zouhair Talbi was sixth overall in 2:06:43, followed closely by debutant Ahmed Muhumed (eighth in 2:07:09), Ryan Ford (10th in 2:07:17), and Conner Mantz (11th in 2:07:27).
Chepkirui Takes Back the Crown
Kenyan Chepkirui won her second TCS New York City Marathon title in three years in a time of 2:24:36. The race for second came down to the final meters, with American Jess McClain coming from behind to outsprint last year’s champion and event record holder Kenyan Hellen Obiri. McClain’s monumental day marked her highest finish at an Abbott World Marathon Majors race and the first time an American woman podiumed in the open division of the TCS New York City Marathon since Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan placed third in 2018.
Three additional American women placed in the top 10: Carrie Ellwood (sixth in 2:26:28), Weini Kelati (seventh in 2:26:51) in her long-awaited marathon debut, and Paige Wood (eighth in 2:27:29).
A Swiss Sweep in the Wheelchair Division
Hug (1:28:14) and Debrunner (1:40:02), both of Switzerland, claimed the wheelchair division titles. It was Hug’s eighth TCS New York City Marathon win, extending his record. He outlasted American Daniel Romanchuk, a three-time champion here, by a single second. Debrunner won decisively, finishing nearly eight and a half minutes in front of American Tatyana McFadden, who has won the race five times.
“The race was very close. Daniel was very strong today,” said Hug. “He had a little gap, then … a few meters before the finish, I caught him again, [so it was a] good win [and] I’m very happy.”
"It was a great race [and] it was a great race day,” said Debrunner. “New York is definitely a special place to come."
Notable and Inspiring Runners
Notable celebrity and human-interest participants in this year’s marathon include Jennifer Connelly, Dylan Efron, Hanna Born, Antoni Porowski, Tiki Barber, and Casey Neistat.
History of the New York City Marathon (1970–2026)
Initially run in 1970 as four-plus laps of Central Park with 55 finishers, the New York City Marathon left the park and was run through the five boroughs for the first time on Oct. 24, 1976, to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial and uplift the city. The landmark move set the standard for the modern marathon event. This year, New York Road Runners is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 5-boro marathon course with a goal, surpassed this week, of raising $100 million for its Official Charity Partner Program.
The TCS New York City Marathon course takes runners over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn, then through Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and back into Manhattan to finish in Central Park. The race features five bridges, diverse neighborhoods, sweeping views, 2 million spectators, and thousands of volunteers.