Kenyan distance runners Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto will defend their New York City Marathon titles on Sunday, November 1. Both won last year's races. They face strong international fields as the race marks 50 years since it adopted its route through New York's five boroughs, The Eastleigh Voice reported.
Obiri has won the women's race twice. In 2025 she set a course record of 2:19:51, breaking the mark set by fellow Kenyan Margaret Okayo in 2003. A third win would put her alongside Mary Keitany, Grete Waitz and Paula Radcliffe. They are the only women to have won the race at least three times.
The two-time world 5,000m champion has been in strong form this year. She won the New York City Half Marathon. She then finished second at the London Marathon in April in a personal best of 2:15:53. Speaking to the Daily Nation, Obiri said that she was "ready for any pace".
Her rivals include compatriot Sheila Chepkirui, who won in 2024 and finished third last year. Kenyans Viola Cheptoo and veteran Edna Kiplagat, the 2010 champion, are also in the field. Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn after illness. That leaves Obiri with the fastest personal best among the expected starters, according to The Eastleigh Voice.
Kipruto won last year in 2:08:09. He edged compatriot Alexander Mutiso by three hundredths of a second. No man has won the race in consecutive years since Kenya's John Kagwe did so in 1997 and 1998. The 35-year-old arrives after finishing third at this year's Boston Marathon in 2:02:50.
He will face Kenyan Cybrian Kotut, whose personal best is 2:03:22, and Ethiopia's Deresa Geleta, who has run 2:02:38. Two-time New York champion Geoffrey Kamworor and 2024 winner Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands are also among the leading contenders.