Kenyan athletes Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto have declared their respective missions to defend the women's and men’s New York Marathon titles when the World Athletics Platinum Label road race returns in November.
The 2026 New York City Marathon will take place on Sunday, November 1st. This milestone year marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic five-borough course, drawing nearly 60,000 runners and over two million spectators.
The lineup features three defending champions, 40 Olympians and Paralympians, 25 Olympic, Paralympic, and World Championships medalists, and 22 national record holders.
Last year’s race set an event record - for the second consecutive year - with 59,219 finishers, which at the time was the largest marathon in world history.
The 36-year-old Obiri, who is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country, has been listed as among the athletes who will compete in the marathon.
Obiri excited to return
Last November, Obiri made history, breaking the 22-year-old course record en route to capturing her second New York City Marathon title.
Obiri took almost three minutes off the course record when she won in 2:19:51, while Kipruto beat Alexander Mutiso by just 16 hundredths of a second as they both clocked 2:08:09.
This time Obiri will take on a field featuring Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, 2024 New York City Marathon champion Sheila Chepkirui, 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase and last year’s world bronze medallist Julia Paternain.
Speaking ahead of the November race, Obiri said as quoted by the IAAF website: "Last year’s TCS New York City Marathon was a dream come true, from breaking the course record and capturing my second title to celebrating with the incredible fans who lined every mile of the course.
"New York always brings out the best in me, and I’m excited to return and feel the energy of each borough during such a historic year."
Obiri is a two-time Olympic 5,000m silver medallist from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000m.
She is a two-time world champion after winning the 5,000m in 2017 and again in 2019, when she set a new championship record. Obiri also took world bronze for the 1,500m in 2013 and silver in the 10,000m in 2022.
She won the 3,000m race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. Obiri is the 2019 World Cross Country champion.
Obiri triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon, her second marathon, and ranks fifth on the all-time world half marathon list.
She won a bronze medal in the 2024 Summer Olympics in the women’s marathon. In addition, she won first position in the 2025 New York City Marathon, with a record time of 2:19:51.
'I’m eager to defend my title'
For Kipruto, he made a stunning TCS New York City Marathon debut, winning the men’s open division by less than one second in the closest men’s race in event history.
Facing Kipruto will be two former TCS New York City Marathon champions, Geoffrey Kamworor and Abdi Nageeye.
The Americans will be led by half marathon and marathon record holder Conner Mantz, who is returning to New York for the first time since 2024; Zouhair Talbi, a two-time Houston Marathon winner and course record holder; and Joel Reichow, the top American at last year’s TCS New York City Marathon.
"My first experience at the TCS New York City Marathon was unforgettable, and I am thrilled to return," said Kipruto in a press statement released by the New York Road Runners website.
"Every major marathon is important, but New York has a unique atmosphere and community. The competition will be particularly strong, and I’m eager to defend my title on one of the sport’s biggest stages."
An Olympic bronze medallist in the marathon, Kipruto is a four-time winner of World Marathon Majors, having won the 2021 Boston Marathon, the 2022 Chicago Marathon, the 2024 Tokyo Marathon (in a personal best of 2:02:16), where he set a new course record, and the 2025 New York City Marathon.
In 2023, he finished second in the 2023 Chicago Marathon, with a personal best time of 2:04:02, 3 minutes behind compatriot the late Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the Marathon world record.
Kipruto further recorded third-place finishes at the 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathons.
Other international contenders to face Kipruto include a trio making their New York City Marathon debuts: Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta, the 2025 Tokyo Marathon runner-up; Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohamed Esa, the 2026 Cape Town Marathon champion and 2024 runner-up in Boston and Chicago; and Kenya’s Cyprian Kotut, the 2024 Berlin Marathon runner-up.
