Defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri will be the headline acts for this Sunday’s TCS New York City Marathon which is celebrating 50 years of running through the city’s five boroughs.
Also looking to make it a special day are 374 runners attempting to complete their Six Star Journey.
King Kipruto
Benson Kipruto winning a photo finish in Central Park was one of the sport’s enduring images from last year.
Both he and Alex Mutiso broke the tape at the same time but Kipruto was adjudged the winner by three hundredths of a second.
Kipruto’s victory meant he became the first runner since the Majors began to win all three US races and another win here will see him become the first person to go back-to-back in New York since Geoffrey Mutai in 2013.
Standing in his way are two former champions - Geoffrey Kamworor, who won here in 2017 and 2019, and 2024 victor Abdi Nageeye.
US marathon running will again be in the spotlight with American runners Connor Mantz and Zouhair Talbi going head-to-head just weeks after Clayton Young beat Charlie Hicks and Vinny Mauri in Chicago.
But perhaps the most intriguing storyline is Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, who makes his marathon debut on Sunday. The 31-year-old won the World Half Marathon Championships in September, clocking 58:06, and he cut a confident figure at Thursday’s media day.
However, as a data scientist, Almgren will be aware that the numbers are against him. No European-born runner has won New York since 1996.
Obiri aims for New York treble
Hellen Obiri will become just the fourth person to win New York three times if she triumphs on Sunday.
The Kenyan clocked 2:19:51 to win last year, adding to her 2023 victory and smashing a 22-year-old course record in the process.
The Kenyan was embroiled in a fascinating battle with Sharon Lokedi and Sheila Chepkirui before leaving the pair for dead as they entered Central Park.
Obiri, who finished second in London, will once again have Chepkirui for company as well as World Championship bronze medallist Julia Paternain, who came eighth on her Majors debut in London earlier this year.
Local interest will focus on Jessica McClain who finished fifth in Boston and Weini Kelati, who holds the North American half marathon record and makes her debut at the distance.
Champions on parade
Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner will enjoy a victory lap in New York having taken an unassailable lead in the Elite Series.
Hug has won Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago and will be a red hot favourite to complete a clean sweep of the original Majors.
His main threat will be Daniel Romanchuk, who won the only Major – Sydney – that Hug did not compete in.
The American will have fond memories of winning in New York two years ago and will be desperate to put right what happened in Chicago three weeks ago when a mechanical failure on his chair in the early stages forced him to withdraw.
Debrunner arrives in New York having smashed the world record in her last outing.
The Swiss broke down in tears after a sensational race in Chicago where she knocked a minute off her own record.
Tatyana McFadden, who is enjoying something of a renaissance and ran Debrunner close in London, and Eden Rainbow-Cooper, winner in Boston, will hope to end the season on a high.
Stars shine in Central Park
A total of 374 runners will toe the line on Sunday hoping to finish and pick up their Six Star Medal in Central Park.
Of those, 91 are from the USA, 50 are from the Great Britain while 36 runners are Chinese.
There are 245 males and 129 female runners. Two of them will be celebrating their birthday on Sunday.
Australian James Nipperess is likely to be the first, having run his other five Majors sub-2:20.
Running New York? Get some last minute tips!
Other news
Jepchirchir provisionally suspended
