Sheila Chepkirui wins matchup of past champions in NYC Marathon, Andreas Almgren makes winning debut

NEW YORK — Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women’s race of the New York City Marathon for the second time in three years on Sunday while Andreas Almgren of Sweden was victorious in his debut in the distance.

Chepkirui pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to seal the victory in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36.

“The last mile was really tricky,” said Chepkirui, who also won in 2024. “I had to be patient because I knew Hellen was really strong, so I had to really push up to the finish line.”

What Chepkirui didn’t know was that American Jessica McClain had been gaining on both of the Kenyans in the final 800 meters of the race. McClain finished 6 seconds behind Chepkirui after passing Obiri — a two-time winner who set the course record in 2025 — in the final few strides. It was the first time a U.S. woman finished in the top three since 2018.

“It was a really fun, magical day out there. New York, you never know what to expect and I honestly didn’t feel like amazing through (Mile) 18, and just kind of had to stick in…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports