The TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday 1 November, and both defending champions are on the start line. Hellen Obiri won last year in 2:19:51, a course record, while Benson Kipruto, who owns a personal best of 2:02:16, took the men’s title by just 0.03 seconds. Neither will have an easy defence. The professional fields combine established champions, returning injury cases and a notable group of debutants.
The women’s race is led by Obiri (personal best 2:15:53) and Sifan Hassan, the Olympic champion, whose 2:13:44 is the fastest in the field and a Dutch national record. Hassan is returning after pulling out of the London Marathon with an Achilles injury. Sheila Chepkirui, the 2024 champion, Gotytom Gebreslase, Viola Cheptoo, Edna Kiplagat and Mercy Chelangat all have bests between 2:17 and 2:21. Sharon Lokedi, the Boston champion, is racing Chicago instead, so she is absent.
American interest centres on Jessica McClain, the top US finisher in Boston this year with a best of 2:20:49, and on two debutants. Weini Kelati, the US half marathon record holder with 1:06:04, and Cailie Hughes will both run their first marathon. Annie Frisbie is back from a tibial stress fracture, and Fiona O’Keeffe, last year’s top American, has not raced since March.
In the men’s field Kipruto is joined by Deresa Geleta (2:02:38), CyBrian Kotut (2:03:22), Abdi Nageeye, Geoffrey Kamworor and Iliass Aouani, the Italian record holder. Zouhair Talbi, the top American in Boston, and Conner Mantz, who holds the American record of 2:04:43, are the leading US hopes. Mantz returns after a sacral stress fracture. Patrick Dever of Great Britain, who ran 2:06:18, is also entered. Last year’s runner-up, Alexander Mutiso Munyao, is not returning.
The most unusual name is Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, the European 10,000m champion and holder of the European half marathon record of 58:41, who debuts over the distance. Runners will also encounter a changed course: for the first time in 15 years the route is altered in the Bronx, after the Willis Avenue Bridge, as New York Road Runners seeks to minimise the race’s impact on the borough. The change coincides with the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course.