Benson Kipruto needed a strong dash to a photo finish and Hellen Obiri battled past Sharon Lokedi for a course record as both locked in for a Kenyan sweep at the 2025 New York City Marathon on Sunday.
The stacked men’s and women’s fields provided a wave of headlines in the weeks before the race with Eliud Kipchoge finally competing in New York, while Sifan Hassan was a late addition poised to contend after winning Sydney in August.
But Kipruto and Obiri both staged dramatic wins in stunning finishes in the closing stages as the race weaved through Central Park. In turn, they lead the way for a Kenyan sweep of both podiums.
In the men’s race, Kipruto took the win in a 2:08:09 finish that was determined at the tape as Alexander Mutiso surged with a final lean.
Kipruto found some separation from the men’s lead pack around the 20k mark at 1:01:45 as Hillary Bor took initiative in his marathon debut. They were joined by Abel Kipchumba and Yudai Fukuda, Patrick Dever and Albert Korir just behind, with Mutiso also in the mix.
But as the race exited Central Park just after the 40km point at 2:01:58, Kipruto and Mutiso made it clear that neither would let up and it would be a two-man mission to the line that would be decide at the very end.
They re-entered the park with just over 800m left and kicked off a sprint to the finish that felt equal parts theatric and unpredictable as it was unclear who was the true winner as they crossed the line at the same time at 2:08:09. But Kipruto took the victory by less than two-tenths of a second in a photo finish. Fellow Kenyan Albert Korir was third in 2:08:57.
“I’m so happy to have my fourth win of a Major Marathon,” Kipruto said after the win. “I think there’s no secret in winning and finishing on the podium. Just believe in yourself and have patience and believe in training.”
Meanwhile Obiri and Lokedi added another chapter to their growing matchup as the women’s race was also decided by a late burst of speed in the closing moments with Obiri taking the win in 2:19:51 course record.
In the early stages Obiri and Lokedi were joined in a women’s lead pack at the 20k point at 1:07:26 as Fiona O’Keeffe, Emily Sisson and Anna Frisbie and last year’s winner Sheila Chepkirui were all in contention while Sifan Hassan trailed by three seconds.
But at 40k in 2:15:58, Lokedi showed that she was looking for a another win in New York like her 2022 victory as Obiri was behind by just a second. Shortly after, the battle intensified as both began to pick up speed as they turned back into Central Park as Obiri pulled away and built enough of a gap to cruise into the finish line for the course record.
Lokedi was second in 2:20:07 while last year’s winner Sheila Chepkirui took third in 2:20:24.
“I actually didn’t know it was a course record until the finish line and they [said] that,” said Obiri. “I’m so happy to break the course record…My mind was there … for a win or to be a podium.”
Sunday’s race was particularly a standout event for Kenya as all six podium spots were claimed by the nation in defiant fashion as one of many subplots of the race.
Marathon legend Kipchoge’s New York City debut was likely his final appearance in a marathon major as he finished in 17th place in 2:14:36 and was visibly emotional after crossing the line. He earned a Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star medal and later announced that he would spend the next two years running seven marathons on all seven continents.
Hassan took sixth in 2:24:43 in her debut on the course and later said on social media that she “didn’t have the legs to join the podium,” but it should be assumed that she will return to New York in the future.
In the men’s wheelchair race, Marcel Hug pushed his record-breaking mark in New York City to seven as he pulled off a late dash to take the win in 1:30:16. David Weir was second in 1:34:09 and Tomoki Suzuki took third in 1:36:28.
Susannah Scaroni took a dominant win in the women’s wheelchair race in 1:42:10 as Tatyana McFadden finished second in 1:47:54 and Catherine Debrunner was third in 1:47:56.
Men’s elite field
1. Benson Kipruto (Kenya) – 2:08:09
2. Alexander Mutiso (Kenya) – 2:08:09
3. Albert Korir (Kenya) – 2:08:57
4. Patrick Dever (Great Britain) – 2:08:58
5. Matthias Kyburz (Switzerland) – 2:09:55
6. Joel Reichow (USA) – 2:09:56
7. Charles Hicks (USA) – 2:09:59
8. Sondre Nordstad Moen (Norway) – 2:10:15
9. Tsegay Weldlibanos (Eritrea) – 2:10:36
10. Joe Klecker (USA) – 2:10:37
11. Daniola Meucci (Italy) – 2:10:40
12. Hillary Bor (USA) – 2:10:47
13. Abbabiya Simbassa (USA) – 2:10:53
14. Abel Kipchumba (Kenya) – 2:13:06
15. Colin Bennie (USA) – 2:12:35
16. Emmanual Levisse (France) – 2:13:05
17. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) – 2:14:36
18. Yudai Fukada (Japan) – 2:14:51
Women’s elite field
1. Hellen Obiri (Kenya) – 2:19:51
2. Sharon Lokedi (Kenya) – 2:20:07
3. Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) – 2:20:24
4. Fiona O’Keeffe (USA) – 2:22:49
5. Annie Frisbie (USA) – 2:24:12
6. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – 2:24:43
7. Jessica Warner-Judd (Great Britain) – 2:24:45
8. Emily Sisson (USA) – 2:25:05
9. Amanda Vestri (USA) – 2:25:40
10. Fionnuala McCormack (Ireland) – 2:27:00
Men’s wheelchair
1. Marcel Hug (Switzerland) – 01:30.16
2. David Weir (Great Britain) – 01:34.09
3. Suzuki Tomoki (Japan) – 01:36.28
4. Jetze Plat (Netherlands) – 01:38.46
5. Evan Correll (USA) – 01:40.07
6. Miguel Jimenez-Vergara (USA) – 1:43.02
7. Sho Watanbe (Japan) – 1:43:33
8. Joshua Cassidy (Canada) – 1:43:38
9. Johnboy Smith (Great Britain) – 1:44:22
Women’s wheelchair
1. Susannah Scaroni (USA) – 01:42:10
2. Tatyana McFadden (USA) – 01:47:54
3. Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) – 01:47:56
4. Manuela Schar (Switzerland) – 01:50:03
5. Hoda Elshorbagy (Egypt) – 01:57:46
6. Tsubasa Nakamina (Japan) – 1:59:28
7. Ebony Rainbow-Cooper (Great Britain) – 1:59:30
8. Vanessa de Souza (Brazil) – 1:59:38
9. Patricia Eachus (Switzerland) – 2:00:13
