Benson Kipruto (in the closest men’s elite finish in race history) and Hellen Obiri led Kenyan podium sweeps of the New York City Marathon.
Kipruto held off charging countryman Alexander Mutiso by an unofficial three hundredths of a second after 26.2 miles on the roads.
A tight race most of the way became a two-man race between Benson Kipruto and Alexander Mutiso over the final mile. https://t.co/3DE7M0efPo pic.twitter.com/tA3Y0rRET2
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 2, 2025
Both clocked an unofficial 2 hours, 8 minutes, 9 seconds. It’s the first time either the men’s or women’s New York City elite race was decided by less than a second.
Kipruto and Mutiso were among the pre-race favorites. Kipruto, 34, previously won the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, plus took bronze at the Paris Olympics. Mutiso, 29, won the 2024 London Marathon.
Obiri broke a 22-year-old women’s course record by more than two minutes, clocking an unofficial 2 hours, 19 minutes, 51 seconds. Obiri previously won the Boston and New York City Marathons in 2023.
The top three finishers went under the women’s course record from 2003 (2:22:31 by Kenyan Margaret Okayo): Obiri, followed by fellow Kenyans Sharon Lokedi (2022 New York City champion, 2:20:07) and Sheila Chepkirui (2024 New York City champion, 2:20:24).
It’s the first time one nation swept the men’s and women’s podiums since 1975, when Americans made up the top 10 in both races that were held entirely in Central Park. In 1976, the course changed to include all five boroughs.
Fiona O’Keeffe, the 2024 Olympic Trials winner, placed fourth Sunday in 2:22:49, the fastest ever American women’s time in New York City.
O’Keeffe was followed by fellow American Annie Frisbie (2:24:12) and then Olympic marathon gold medalist Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands (2:24:43), who was doubling back after winning the Sydney Marathon on Aug. 31.
American Susannah Scaroni and Swiss Marcel Hug won the wheelchair races.
Scaroni, with her third New York City title, and fellow American Tatyana McFadden went one-two for the second consecutive year.
Hug won for a record-extending seventh time.
New York City marked the last World Marathon Major of 2025, though the Valencia Marathon in Spain on Dec. 7 is expected to produce fast times.
