With an unbelievable final push in the last mile through Central Park, Kenyan runner Sheila Chepkirui broke away from last year’s New York City Marathon winner Hellen Obiri to claim her first World Marathon Major title with a time of 2:24:35. Up until the final mile, it was Chepkirui, Obiri, and fellow Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot leading the pack. Anticipating Obiri’s final kick at the end of the race, Chepkirui knew she had to make her move.
“Let me push the last mile, let me give it my best,” Chepkirui said in a post-race interview. “When we were around 600 meters to go, I said to myself I have to push harder. When I saw Hellen wasn’t coming, I knew I was going to win and was so happy.” Clocking a final mile time of 4:59, Chepkirui flew across the finish line, claiming first place. Obiri and Cheruiyot followed suit, rounding out the all-Kenyan podium, the first time for the country.
This historic feat represents the generational success of Kenyan women marathon runners. With Chepkirui fairly new to the marathon scene and experienced Obiri continuing to excel, the results of the NYC Marathon highlight the depth and dominance of Kenyan women in distance running. They also showcase both emerging talent and established excellence in a sport long dominated by the country.
Run It Back
Last year, in similar fashion to Chepkirui, Obiri captured her first NYC Marathon title in the final stretch of the race and made history as the the first woman in three decades to win both Boston and NYC in the same year. Coming into 2024, Obiri once again dominated in Boston, defending her title and securing consecutive wins.
Following Boston, Obiri competed in the Paris Olympics for Kenya and claimed her third Olympic medal, winning bronze in the marathon. As New York City approached, it was a no-brainer that Obiri was predicted to win. “There’s no place like New York, and I am so ready to defend my title on what has become one of my favorite days of the year,” said Obiri in a pre-race interview.
“New York needs a lot of strength. Here, it’s not about time. Here, it’s about winning.”
The Boroughs
The NYC Marathon is the biggest race in the world. One of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, NYC is the final race in a series of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world, including Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, and Chicago. The goal of the World Marathon Majors is to determine the world's best men and women marathoners with elite athletes from around the world competing.
In 2024, the New York City Marathon had over 50,000 participants with runners from 150 countries competing. Set in the heart of NYC, the course winds through the five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, and finishes with the hills of Central Park.
New Kid on the Block
Up until the final mile, it seemed as if Obiri was going to make history as the first woman to win consecutive titles at two of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. But Chepkirui had other plans. Starting to run marathons in 2022, this was Chepkirui’s fifth marathon. Previously, she raced at the Berlin and London Marathon Majors, placing second in 2023 and sixth in 2024, respectively. Coming into NYC, Chepkirui knew she needed to step up. “New York needs a lot of strength,” Chepkirui told The New York Times. “Here, it’s not about time. Here, it’s about winning.”
Head to head, Obiri and Chepkirui were stride for stride until the end, when Chepkirui found more to give. With grit and determination, Chepkirui pulled ahead to claim victory. “Winning today means a lot to me. It means my training has been [going] well, and I’m really happy for the win,” Chepkirui said post-race. "The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.” Chepkirui’s perseverance highlights how a race is not over until you cross the finish line. As long as you are still racing, you have the power to change the narrative and push yourself to new limits to achieve your goals.
A First For Kenya
With Chepkirui taking the top spot and Obiri claiming second 15 seconds later, Cheruiyot rounded out the podium with a third place finish of 2:25:21. This is the first time Kenya swept the women’s medal positions. It was also the first time since 1978 that a single country won gold, silver, and bronze in the women’s open division.
The NYC Marathon marked an incredible and historic end of season for all three runners. Women’s marathon runners continue to push the limit for what is possible, ringing in a new era of speed. With a world record of 2:09:56 being set at the Chicago Marathon this summer, Obiri said, “I never thought ladies can run sub-2:10, honest. So for me, I feel much motivated. I feel like everything is now possible for running.”
