Almgren Makes History on Debut, Chepkirui Survives One-Second Thriller

NEW YORK — Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the New York City Marathon on his debut, becoming the first European-born champion in 30 years. The 31-year-old crossed the line in 2 hours 6 minutes 1 second, the first European-born winner since Italy's Giacomo Leone in 2026. The victory capped a remarkable year in which he won European Championship gold over 10,000 metres in August and set a European half-marathon record in September. The men's race was decided late. Italy's Yemaneberhan Crippa finished second, 13 seconds back, while Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho took third, a further 12 seconds behind. The top three were separated by just 25 seconds — an unusually tight margin in a marathon, underlining how tactical the race became. Almgren had arrived with plenty of anticipation surrounding his debut, and he lived up to it by claiming the biggest title of his career at the first attempt over 42.2 kilometres. Emotion poured out after the finish. "I've got the legs today," Almgren said. "I knew that if I kept my rhythm, the result could come my way." He added: "I'm about to start crying. This is the biggest day of my life." The win gives him a new standing among Europe's long-distance runners. The historical significance lies in the fact that he is the first European-born winner in three decades, breaking a period of African and North American dominance. Notably, the achievement is framed around being 'European-born' rather than simply European, a distinction that matters in a sport where many athletes representing European nations were born in East Africa. The women's race was even closer. Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya, 35, claimed her second New York Marathon title in 2:24:36. Jessica McClain of the United States was second, six seconds back, and Kenya's Hellen Obiri third, one second further behind. The top three were separated by just seven seconds — one of the tightest finishes in the race's history. Chepkirui revealed her tactics afterwards. "I knew everything would be decided in the final kilometre," she said. "I controlled my pace and gave everything in the last moments." She described Obiri as "very strong" and said the win was far from easy. It was her second New York success, though the report did not specify which year she first won. This year's race was marked as the 50th anniversary of the historic five-borough route through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Organisers held special events for the occasion, though the report did not clarify whether the anniversary referred to the race's founding or the launch of the five-borough course. Full times for Crippa, Mofolo, McClain and Obiri were not disclosed — only the gaps — making it difficult for readers to judge the overall standard of the winning performances. No voices other than the two champions appeared in the report. Almgren's victory raises a new question for coming seasons: can European runners challenge African dominance over the marathon distance? For now, the Swede has shown that a debutant can win a major title. Chepkirui's narrow win underlined that the women's race is no less competitive.