New York City Marathon 2025: Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Abdi Nageeye, Sifan Hassan, Sheila Chepkirui… A Race of Legends
One of the biggest events of the year in the running world is happening this weekend. More than 55,000 runners, five legendary boroughs, two million spectators lining the streets, and an atmosphere that only New York can deliver. When it comes to spectacle, the New York City Marathon plays in a league of its own. If there’s one marathon you should run once in your lifetime, it’s this one. And the 2025 edition promises fireworks: a world-class elite field featuring defending champions Abdi Nageeye and Sheila Chepkirui, both back to defend their crowns—but the competition will be fierce. On the women’s side, Sifan Hassan, Hellen Obiri, and Sharon Lokedi headline an all-star lineup. Among the men, Eliud Kipchoge, the GOAT himself, finally comes to tick off the last missing box in his Majors collection. Facing him: Kenenisa Bekele. Two legends, squaring off one last time after 20 years of rivalry. Yes, the 2025 New York City Marathon is shaping up to be epic.
| A Major Like No Other
The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the crown jewels of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, part of the six-race circuit that defines marathon greatness. But unlike the flat, record-breaking “autobahns” of Berlin or Chicago, New York is a roller coaster of a course: a brutal climb up the Verrazzano Bridge right from the start, long false flats through Brooklyn that burn the quads, the eerie silence crossing Queensboro Bridge, and then the roar of First Avenue’s “wall of sound”, before the leg-breaking hills of Central Park.
New York is a marathon that must be lived. It embodies the city itself—spectacular, unpredictable, demanding, but unforgettable. For elite runners, it’s a test of strategy and instinct, where races are often decided in the final ten kilometers. Here, mental strength and pacing matter as much as pure fitness.
The NYC Marathon is more than a race—it’s a dream for countless runners, the marathon of marathons. A once-in-a-lifetime journey where tens of thousands of athletes experience their moment of glory. Every finisher is celebrated like a rock star. In the U.S., this race is a cultural institution, a collective celebration of perseverance and community.
Running through Manhattan’s iconic avenues, crossing New York’s famous bridges, and finishing in Central Park—that’s priceless. Well, almost. The marathon also fuels the city’s economy at full speed: hotels, restaurants, shops… According to official figures, the New York City Marathon generates around $692 million in economic impact each year. A staggering sum worthy of its mythic status.
| Abdi Nageeye Aims to Defend His Title
After his 2024 victory in 2:07:39, Abdi Nageeye returns to New York with the same mission: defend his crown and prove he belongs among the sport’s elite. Last year, his experience and race intelligence paid off with his long-awaited first Major win. This time, the Dutch star faces even tougher competition: a Kenyan armada featuring Evans Chebet, Albert Korir, Benson Kipruto, and Alexander Mutiso, winner of last year’s London Marathon.
Behind them lies a wave of hungry challengers ready to take advantage of New York’s undulating terrain. Among the Americans, all eyes will be on marathon debutants Hillary Bor, Joe Klecker, and Alex Maier, part of the new U.S. generation making waves on the roads. Veteran Reed Fischer will also be in the mix.
And there will be some French flair on the start line, too: Félix Bour, who holds a personal best of 2:06:46, will run his first Major after a training block at altitude in Font-Romeu. He’s dreaming of a top-10 finish. Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse, fresh off his victory at the French Half Marathon Championships and a runner-up finish at the Paris 20K, will also be there—arriving in peak form and ready to take his shot in a race where anything can happen.
| Eliud Kipchoge vs. Kenenisa Bekele: One Last Dance
He’s won everything—almost everywhere. Of the six Majors, only New York and Boston have eluded him. But now, Eliud Kipchoge, who turns 41 next week, is giving himself the best birthday gift imaginable: his first race in New York City.
The second-fastest man in history (2:01:09), a two-time Olympic champion, and 11-time Major winner, Kipchoge has nothing left to prove. But he still runs—not for records, but to inspire generations of runners. His last marathon victory came in Berlin 2023 (2:02:42). This season, he finished 6th in London (2:05:25) and 9th in Sydney (2:08:31) on a notoriously tough course. In New York, he’s chasing the one star still missing from his Major collection.
Facing him is another titan: Kenenisa Bekele, 43, eternal rival, three-time Olympic champion, and the second man ever to run under 2:02. Their much-anticipated duel in London earlier this year was canceled after Bekele withdrew injured—but this time, he’s ready. Lean, sharp, and hungry for one last great battle.
It might be his final race. It might also be his finest. A “last dance” between two giants who have defined distance running for two decades.
| Sifan Hassan, Hellen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, Sheila Chepkirui… A Five-Star Women’s Field
The women’s field for the 2025 New York City Marathon might just be the strongest in history. Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui is back to defend her title—but she’ll face an elite cast.
Triple Olympic champion and double world champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands headlines the field, arriving in New York with one clear goal: to win. The supremely versatile runner has excelled across every distance, from the track to the marathon. With her personal best of 2:13:44, she is the clear favorite.
Behind her, a powerful Kenyan duo stands ready to challenge: Hellen Obiri, two-time world champion and two-time Boston winner, and Sharon Lokedi, this year’s Boston champion and New York winner in 2022. Add Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase, Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot, and a strong American contingent led by Emily Sisson, Fiona O’Keeffe, and the returning Molly Seidel, and you have the most competitive women’s lineup of the fall season.
| When and Where to Watch
The 54th New York City Marathon will take place on Sunday, November 2.
Elite women start at 8:30 a.m. local time
Elite men at 9:05 a.m., followed by the amateur waves until 11:30 a.m.
In the United States, the race will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
New York isn’t just another marathon—it’s the marathon that best captures the essence of running: challenging, unpredictable, but ending in magic as runners charge through Central Park to the roar of the crowd. This year’s elite field is one of the deepest ever, and anything can happen. That’s the beauty of this race—pre-written scripts never last long here. Will we witness Eliud Kipchoge’s final masterclass? Or the crowning of Sifan Hassan in the Big Apple? The answer comes this Sunday, on the streets of New York City.
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Clément LABORIEUX
Journalist
