Competitors include reigning champions Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui plus Sifan Hassan, Eliud Kipchoge, Hellen Obiri and Brits Jess Warner-Judd and Patrick Dever.
Just a couple of months after racing at the Sydney Marathon, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya will make their debut in the Big Apple as they compete in the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday (Nov 2).
Hassan will face tough competition from Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, Sheila Chepkirui and Sharon Lokedi in the women’s race, while the men’s race includes defending champion Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands together with Evans Chebet and Albert Korir of Kenya.
There is strong British interest this year, too, with Jess Warner-Judd and Patrick Dever making their marathon debuts. There is no Eilish McColgan, though, due to an illness-affected build-up, whereas Charles Hicks – another marathon debutant – has switched allegiance from Britain to the United States.
Dever has run 27:08.81 for 10,000m on the track and is a former NCAA champion at that distance. Historically he has also closely matched with Emile Cairess in track and cross-country races, which bodes well for the Preston Harrier given how well Cairess has run over 26.2 miles, with fourth place in the Paris Olympics among other things.
Warner-Judd is on the comeback from some distressing epileptic episodes and she has shown great form over the years from 800m through to the half-marathon, with a 67:06 PB in the latter. You can find more on her build-up and hopes for the race here.
British viewers will be able to watch this final World Marathon Majors event of 2025 via TNT Sports.
Hassan won the Olympic title last year and has also won London, Chicago and Sydney marathons during her career on the roads so far. In New York she faces Olympic bronze medallist Obiri, who also won the New York event in 2023, plus 2022 New York winner Lokedi and defending champion Chepkirui.
Hassan ran 2:18:22 in Sydney and has had just 62 days to recover and rebuild for New York.
Emily Sisson, the United States record-holder with 2:18:23, carries home hopes. Watch out as well for 2021 Olympic bronze medallist Molly Seidel, who says she will move into ultra running after this, plus Sara Hall, Susanna Sullivan and Fiona O’Keeffe, among others, creating a strong American presence.
Poised to turn 41 on November 5 and after finishing ninth in Sydney a couple of months ago in 2:08:31, Kipchoge is now in the twilight of his career. He is joined by another veteran superstar, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, the former world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder being a relatively late addition to the fields at the age of 43.
READ MORE: 2024 New York City Marathon coverage
Nageeye is the man to beat, though, as he clocked 2:07:39 when winning in New York in 2024, whereas he also won Olympic silver behind Kipchoge in 2021. Chebet and Korir also know how to win this race, too, as they triumphed here in 2022 and 2021 respectively.
In addition, Benson Kipruto, who was third at Paris 2024, plus last year’s London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso are competing.
READ MORE: Kipchoge vs Bekele in the marathon
When it comes to American hopes, Abbabiya Simbassa, an Ethiopian-born athlete making his third marathon appearance, has a best of 2:06:53 whereas Hicks, Hillary Bor and Joe Klecker are making their debuts.
The reigning champions in the wheelchair races, Daniel Romanchuk and Susannah Scaroni, defend their titles this weekend.
