New York (AFP) – What a year 2026 is for Andreas Almgren! After a first European gold in the 10,000m and a first world gold in the half-marathon, the 31-year-old Swede won the prestigious New York marathon on Sunday for his big debut over the distance.

Published on: 01/11/2026 - 18:49

Almgren won in 2 hours 06 minutes 01 seconds on this legendary 42.195 km route which connects the five "boroughs" of the Big Apple and which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

“I'm going there with the naivety of a child who tells himself that he is starting a race to win it,” the Swede assured before the race, confident after an already successful season and preparation for the marathon which had exceeded all his expectations.

“Unless something extremely crazy happens, I will be able to keep up the pace at least until Central Park (four km from the finish),” he warned.

Under the November sun, the race started at a rather slow pace, quickly letting the possibility of a record for the event slip away (2h 04:58 in 2023) and Almgren stayed wisely with the other favorites, including the Kenyan title holder Benson Kipruto.

When the latter wanted to take the lead to retain his crown, Almgren as well as the Italian Yeman Crippa were able to respond until making the Kenyan break shortly after the 40th kilometer.

“Icing on the cake”

The final two kilometers offered a high-level duel between the two Europeans, accustomed to competing for victories on the track as well as on the road for years. But it was ultimately Almgren who broke away a few hundred meters from the finish to win his first major marathon.

Crippa, winner of the Paris marathon in April, finished in 2 hours 06 minutes and 14 seconds while Lesotho athlete Kamohelo Mofolo completed the podium in 2 hours 06 minutes and 26 seconds. The Kenyan Benson Kipruto, winner in 2025, fails at the foot of the podium (2h 06:27). This is the first time since 1988 that two Europeans have led the men's New York marathon.

For Almgren, it is, as he himself said, the “icing on the cake” of a golden year 2026, where the Swede, with an almost blank international record a year ago, has entered a completely different dimension.

In January, he set the tone by beating the European 10 km road record (26:45, since beaten by Frenchman Yann Schrub). In August, he made his mark by winning the 10,000 m of the European Championships with phenomenal class, dropping all his opponents including world champion Jimmy Gressier (3rd) and Yeman Crippa (4th) to win. In September, he won the half marathon world title, again dominating the race.

Almgren plans to continue his marathon career but should not abandon the track before the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where a 10,000 m / marathon double is possible.

Chepkirui regains his crown

A few minutes before the arrival of Andreas Almgren, the Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui (2h 24:36) signed her second success in the New York marathon after her victory in 2024 while the other big favorite, her compatriot Hellen Obiri, title holder in New York, took 3rd place (2h 24:43), overtaken a few meters from the finish by the American Jessica McClain (2nd in 2h 24:43).

The two Kenyans had nevertheless maintained their rank as favorites by taking the lead of the race alone at the 35th kilometer for a duel towards victory which seemed written in advance. But Obiri, who was already showing some signs of fatigue, broke down in the last kilometer allowing McClain, who managed his end of the race perfectly, to take second place.

With two victories each in this marathon over the last four years, Chepkirui and Obiri confirm Kenyan domination of the women's race: Kenyans have won 13 of the 15 New York marathons since 2010.

© 2026 AFP

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