New York City Marathon: Hellen Obiri to Renew Rivalry with Sifan Hassan as Benson Kipruto Headlines Men's Race

Reigning champions Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto of Kenya, alongside Swiss wheelchair great Marcel Hug, are set to headline a star-studded field for the 50th running of the New York City Marathon's five-borough course.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has unveiled the professional athlete roster for this year's race on November 1, which will see nearly 60,000 participants take to the streets.

The elite field is packed with defending champions, global medalists, and national record holders ready to compete in the historic event.

The 2026 edition celebrates a significant milestone, marking 50 years since the marathon first traversed all five boroughs in 1976.

Returning to the Staten Island start line are 2025 champions Hellen Obiri, who also holds the course record, and Benson Kipruto, as well as seven-time men's wheelchair champion Marcel Hug.

Among the most anticipated athletes is three-time Olympic champion Sifan Hassan. After a sixth-place finish in New York in 2025, she was forced to withdraw from this year's London Marathon due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Sifan Hassan boasts the fastest personal best in the women's field with her 2:13:44 from the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

In 2025, Obiri secured her second NYC title by shattering the 22-year-old course record with a stunning 2:19:51 finish.

She followed that performance with a second-place finish and a new personal best of 2:15:53 at the London Marathon earlier this year.

"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 line every mile of the course," Obiri stated in a press release.

"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."

The women's pro field is loaded with talent, including 2024 champion Sheila Chepkirui, who finished third in 2025. She'll be joined by Uruguay's Julia Paternain, the 2025 World Championships marathon bronze medalist, and U.S. half-marathon record holder Weini Kelati, who will be making her marathon debut.

The American contingent also features Annie Frisbie (fifth in 2025), Fiona O’Keeffe, and Jess McClain. Other top contenders include two-time world championships medalist Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia, Kenya's Viola Cheptoo, and legendary two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, who holds the women's masters course record at 2:24:16.

In the men's race, Benson Kipruto, who won by a razor-thin margin in his 2025 New York debut and later claimed bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, will face stiff competition.

The field includes former champions Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands (2024) and Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya (2017, 2019). North American marathon record holder Conner Mantz returns after finishing as the top American in sixth place in 2024. Other notable names include two-time Houston Marathon winner Zouhair Talbi and Joel Reichow, the fastest American in the 2025 race.

Several athletes will be making their New York City Marathon debuts, including Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Huseydin Mohamed Esa, Kenya’s CyBrian Kotut, and Great Britain's Patrick Dever. The race will also mark the marathon debut for Swedish distance star Andreas Almgren.

The men's wheelchair division will see Marcel Hug contend with former champions Daniel Romanchuk of the U.S. and David Weir of Great Britain.

In the women's race, Swiss course record holder Catherine Debrunner will face off against past winners Tatyana McFadden of the U.S. and Madison de Rozario of Australia, as well as Great Britain's Eden Rainbow-Cooper.