Obiri Defends New York Marathon Title Against Deep Women’s Field

Hellen Obiri returns to the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday as reigning champion and the clear reference point in a women’s field that still contains 13 athletes with sub-2:25 personal bests. This is the season’s last Abbott World Marathon Major, and New York’s demanding five-borough course makes raw PBs only part of the equation. For runners following the race through a watch or the New York Road Runners app, the smart play is to track the lead group rather than expect a simple time-trial contest.

Obiri has set the standard

Obiri has won New York twice, first in 2023 and again in 2025, when her 2:19:51 broke a 22-year-old course record. Her 2026 London Marathon personal best of 2:15:53 underlines the form behind that result, even though she finished second there to Tigst Assefa. She also took Olympic bronze in 2024. Put simply: she brings championship durability and serious speed, which is exactly the combination New York tends to reward.

Sheila Chepkirui is the most obvious threat. The 2024 New York winner arrives after winning the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in March in 2:20:40, and she was third in New York last year in 2:20:24. That 2025 race reset expectations for women’s racing in the city: Sharon Lokedi ran 2:20:07 for second, Chepkirui followed, and all three podium finishers went below the former 2:22:31 course record. Obiri versus Chepkirui is the headline. Lokedi’s presence in the recent New York results is a reminder that any early tactical mistake could invite others into the fight.

The debut worth tracking

Weini Kelati’s marathon debut is the most intriguing performance question in the field. The American set the North American half-marathon record at 1:06:04 in February, then ran 1:06:35 for sixth at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in September. Those results make her transition to 42.2 kilometres compelling, but a debut in New York asks more than carrying half-marathon speed for longer. Fueling, patience and handling the course late matter. A fast opening split will be interesting. A controlled position deep into the race will matter more.

Mercy Chelangat has already shown she can race well on a hard marathon course. The Kenyan ran 2:20:30 for fourth at the Boston Marathon this year, then clocked 32:14 at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K in June. Her Boston result gives her a legitimate case as a podium contender if the favourites turn the race into an attritional battle rather than a clean, even-paced run.

Scratches reduce the depth

The disappointment is who will not start. Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan has scratched, as has Gotytom Gebreslase, whose 2:18:11 was the third-fastest PB in the field. New York Road Runners announced Gebreslase’s withdrawal without giving a reason. The field remains strong, but those absences remove two major variables from what could have been an even deeper championship contest.

Our verdict: Obiri is the deserved favourite, Chepkirui is the proven challenger, and Kelati is the athlete endurance fans should watch most closely. This is less a race to judge by a projected finish time than one to follow live as the course tests every contender.