Almgren Wins NYC Marathon, First European Since 1996

Andreas Almgren won the 2026 New York City Marathon on debut in 2:06:01 after a late surge with about 800 meters remaining broke him clear of Yemaneberhan Crippa. Crippa finished second in 2:06:14. Kamohelo Mofolo took third in 2:06:26, one second ahead of Benson Kipruto. The time ranks third-fastest in the course's 50-year history behind Tamirat Tola's 2:04:58 from 2023. Sheila Chepkirui won the women's race in 2:24:36. Jessica McClain finished second in 2:24:42 after overtaking Hellen Obiri in the final meters; Obiri was third in 2:24:43 after briefly leading at 35K before Chepkirui retook the lead at 40K. Marcel Hug passed Daniel Romanchuk in the last 100 meters of the men's wheelchair race after Romanchuk attempted to take the lead in the final mile. Latin Times report Almgren's age as 31; Headtopics reports it as 26. Latin Times frames the win as the first by a European-born man in 30 years; Headtopics frames it as the first by a debutant since Gebre Gebremariam in 2010. Almgren won 10,000m gold at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham in a championship record 27:23.44 and the world half-marathon title in Copenhagen in a European record 58:06, the first non-African world half-marathon champion since Stefano Baldini in 1996. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course.