New York City Marathon 2026: the elite field and the British runners to watch

The 2026 New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday 1 November, and seven British racers are in the professional fields published by the organiser, New York Road Runners (NYRR). The British runner to watch is Patrick Dever, third here last year on his marathon debut, with Jack Rowe, Phily Bowden, Eden Rainbow-Cooper, David Weir, Johnboy Smith and Simon Lawson also listed.

This year the race marks 50 years since it first ran through all five boroughs, on 24 October 1976. Below is the elite line-up as NYRR lists it on 26 October 2026, what each British racer brings, and when the pro races start in UK time. Edge is not affiliated with NYRR or the race. Fields can change right up to race week, so check NYRR's site for the final start lists.

Who is in the professional women's field?

Hellen Obiri of Kenya returns as defending champion. NYRR says she broke a 22-year-old course record last year on the way to her second New York title, running 2:19:51, and she has since run a personal best of 2:15:53 for second at the London Marathon. That is now the fastest best on NYRR's women's list. Other names to know:

• Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya), the 2024 champion, who finished third last year.
• Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia), a two-time World Athletics Championships medallist with a best of 2:18:11.
• Edna Kiplagat (Kenya), a former New York, Boston and London champion, who holds the race's masters women's record of 2:24:16, according to NYRR.
• Julia Paternain (Uruguay), bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
• Weini Kelati (USA), the American half marathon record holder, making her marathon debut.

Two names from NYRR's August announcement have since dropped off its list. Three-time Olympic champion Sifan Hassan was widely reported in mid-October to have withdrawn after illness disrupted her training, and American Fiona O'Keeffe was reported to have withdrawn through injury. Neither appears on NYRR's professional field page at the time of writing.

Who is in the professional men's field?

Benson Kipruto of Kenya is the defending champion. NYRR says he won last year by three hundredths of a second, the closest men's finish in the race's history, and his 2:02:16 from Tokyo in 2024 is the fastest personal best in the field. He faces a deep line-up:

• Deresa Geleta (Ethiopia), runner-up at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon, with the second-fastest best in the field at 2:02:38.
• Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya), champion in 2017 and 2019, who NYRR says has made the podium in four of his five New York appearances.
• Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands), the 2024 champion.
• Conner Mantz (USA), the American record holder for the half marathon and the marathon.
• Zouhair Talbi (USA), whose 2:03:45 in Boston this year is the fastest marathon ever by an American on any course, according to NYRR.
• Andreas Almgren (Sweden), the 2026 European 10,000m champion, making his marathon debut.

Which British runners are racing New York in 2026?

NYRR's lists include seven British racers across the four professional divisions. The times below are the personal bests NYRR gives for each of them on its field page.

Why is Patrick Dever the British runner to watch?

Dever's debut here last year was one of the stories of the race. He finished third in 2:08:58, and his NYRR profile says he has since run 2:06:18 at the London Marathon, the third-fastest time on the all-time UK marathon list. He also ran 59:56 at the NYC Half this year, which NYRR calls the second-fastest half marathon by a British man in history.

He came to the marathon from the track, and raced the 5,000m for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Kipruto, Geleta and Kamworor all have faster bests, so nobody should assume a repeat podium, but Dever already knows how this course feels in the final miles, and that experience counts for something on a route with five bridges.

London-based Jack Rowe gives Britain a second man in the open field, with a best of 2:07:47. In the women's race, Manchester-based Phily Bowden is the only British woman on NYRR's open list, with a best of 2:25:57.

Who are the British wheelchair racers to follow?

The wheelchair races go first, so they give UK viewers the first finishes of the afternoon. In the women's race, Eden Rainbow-Cooper arrives as a two-time Boston champion after winning there again this year, and NYRR's August announcement also described her as the reigning NYC Half champion. Her NYRR profile says she was seventh in New York last year and fourth on her debut here in 2023.

She faces course record holder Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland, who NYRR says has won Tokyo and London this year, and Tatyana McFadden of the USA, last year's runner-up, who is chasing a record sixth New York title.

In the men's race, Marcel Hug of Switzerland is the defending champion with a record seven New York titles, and has already won Tokyo, Boston and London in 2026. NYRR says the whole of last year's podium returns, which includes Japan's Tomoki Suzuki and Britain's David Weir, the 2010 champion. Johnboy Smith, whose 1:20:05 is the fastest best of the three British men, and Simon Lawson complete a strong British group.

Are there any Irish runners in the professional fields?

Yes. Peter Lynch, the Irish marathon record holder, is in the men's open field with a best of 2:06:08, and Patrick Monahan from Kildare is in the men's wheelchair race with a best of 1:22:23, according to NYRR's lists.

What time do the professional races start in UK time?

UK clocks went back on Sunday 25 October, according to GOV.UK, but US clocks do not change until 2am on race morning, according to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. So this week your phone shows New York as 4 hours behind, but by the time the race starts the gap is back to 5 hours. NYRR's race-day schedule lists these starts and estimated finishes, and says start times are subject to change.

The first mass wave follows at 2:10pm UK time. NYRR lists an international broadcast window of 1pm to 4:30pm UK time, and says its official app lets you track runners and follow the leaderboards. For TV options, wave times and tracking a friend, see our guide to the New York City Marathon 2026 UK start time and how to watch.

Has the course changed for 2026?

Only slightly. The 26.2-mile route still runs through all five boroughs, but NYRR has made a minor adjustment to the Bronx section after the Willis Avenue Bridge. NYRR says it is the first time in 15 years that the course has changed, timed for the 50th anniversary of the five-borough route.

How can you use the race as motivation for your own winter training?

A big city marathon on a Sunday afternoon in November is a good moment to set your own plans for the dark months. A few ideas:

• Get your own run done first. The professional women do not start until 1:35pm UK time, so there is plenty of time for a steady long run on Sunday morning before you settle in.
• Pick a spring target. If the race sparks an idea, our guide on when to start training for a spring marathon in 2027 helps you count back from race day.
• Train for hills, not just miles. Courses with bridges and rolling sections reward some hill work and regular strength training, which also helps you hold your form late in a race.
• Keep strength and HIIT in your week. Winter is a good time to build the strength that supports your running, with short HIIT sessions indoors for nights when the weather is grim.
• Fancy running New York yourself? NYRR says dates for its 2027 entry drawing are still to be announced, and that runners who do not live full-time in the US can book guaranteed-entry packages through official international tour operators, to be named in early 2027. Our complete NYC Marathon training and race guide covers the build-up.

Edge treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one plan rather than separate apps. Edge Pro gives you a fully personalised plan, ready within 24 hours, with a real coach to message anytime. It costs £22.99 a month, £84.99 every six months or £129.99 a year after a 7-day free trial that needs a card. And from November, Edge Rewards will turn any logged workout into points you can spend on real rewards, which can be a useful nudge on cold, dark evenings.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.