Dever eyes championship-style test in New York as Almgren adds firepower to stacked field
New York Road Runners has confirmed the elite athlete field for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon and there is plenty for British and Irish fans to follow when the race returns to the streets of the Big Apple on November 1.
Patrick Dever heads the British interest in the men's race, returning to New York after having produced one of the stories of last year's race. The US-based Preston Harrier crossed the line fourth on his 26.2-mile debut, only to be promoted to third – and on to the podium of a World Marathon Major – several weeks later after the runner who finished ahead of him, Albert Korir, failed a drugs test.
Speaking to AW, Dever explained why he chose New York over a home European Championships marathon in Birmingham this summer.
"Being new to the marathon distance I definitely realised after the two that I've done it takes my body a while to recover," he said. "I did consider doing the European marathon as it would have been fun as it was a home championship in England. But the turnaround after London was a bit tight and with New York in November it gave me a longer runway to take a break, give my body time to heal and ensure I can be in my best shape in New York."
There is also a tactical dimension to the decision. With the Los Angeles Olympics now firmly in his sights, Dever wants to sharpen his skills at racing without the crutch of pacemakers.
"It's important for me to be in a race like New York without pacemakers, whereas in London I had pacemakers. I want to practise championships-style racing in New York given that Los Angeles Olympics is my big focus in the next couple of years."
That podium finish was followed by an impressive step up in April, when Dever returned to London and ran a personal best of 2:06:18, underlining the rapid progress he has made since switching up to the marathon distance. It is that quick turnaround between London and New York that has shaped his 2026 campaign, with the extra recovery time before November allowing him to arrive in the US in peak condition rather than rushing to fit in a home European Championships race in between.
On the strange circumstances of his retrospective podium finish, Dever was reflective rather than bitter. "After the race coming in fourth was better than I expected so I was elated. I couldn't have gone much better on my debut but then to find out a few weeks later that the runner ahead of me tested positive was a strange experience, but I'm grateful to New York Road Runners for the way they handled it and it's pretty special to be a podium placer in a big city marathon on my debut. It's one of the best moments of my career even if I wasn't able to experience it on the day itself."
Dever will be joined in New York by fellow Brits Jack Rowe plus Phily Bowden.
The men's field has been given an extra jolt of intrigue this week with the news that Andreas Almgren will make his marathon debut in New York – just days after the Swede claimed European 10,000m gold in Birmingham in a championship record time of 27:23.44. Already the Swedish and European record-holder over 5000m and the half marathon, Almgren steps up to 26.2 miles for the first time carrying serious pedigree and fresh momentum from a summer that has confirmed him as one of the outstanding distance talents in Europe.
He joins a men's field built around defending champion Benson Kipruto of Kenya, who won last November's race by three hundredths of a second – the closest finish in event history – and has since added a third-place finish at Boston in April, going under the previous course record. Kipruto's Kenyan compatriots Geoffrey Kamworor and CyBrian Kotut, plus Ethiopia's Deresa Geleta, headline a fast international field that also includes Italian record-holder Iliass Aouani and Ireland's Peter Lynch, the Irish marathon record-holder.
The host nation's field is one of the deepest in the race's history. Conner Mantz, the American record holder over both the half marathon and marathon, returns to New York for the first time since 2024 off the back of a fourth-place finish in a national record at last year's Chicago Marathon. He sets up a mouth-watering domestic duel with Zouhair Talbi, who ran 2:03:45 for a new American course record at Boston in April – the fastest marathon ever run by an American on any course – and edged Mantz by two seconds over Talbi's home turf at the Falmouth Road Race this summer.
On the women's side, half marathon record holder Weini Kelati makes her marathon debut after finishing first or second in four of her six previous NYRR races, while Jess McClain, who broke the American course record in Boston in April, and Fiona O'Keeffe, last year's top American finisher, add further strength in depth.
Hellen Obiri will bid for a third TCS New York City Marathon title having broken a 22-year-old course record last year to win in 2:19:51. The Kenyan has since won the NYC Half, run a personal best of 2:15:53 for second at London, and finished third at June's New York Mini 10K.
"New York always brings out the best in me, and I'm excited to return and feel the energy of each borough during such a historic year," Obiri said.
She faces a formidable women's field featuring three-time Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands – who holds the fastest personal best in the field at 2:13:44 – along with 2024 champion Sheila Chepkirui and Ethiopia's Gotytom Gebreslase.
In the wheelchair race, Switzerland's Marcel Hug returns to defend his title and extend his own course record, having already won in Tokyo, Boston and London this year. Britain has strong representation behind him, with David Weir, the 2010 champion, and Johnboy Smith and Simon Lawson also in the men's wheelchair field, while Eden Rainbow-Cooper, the reigning NYC Half and Boston Marathon champion, lines up in the women's wheelchair race.
This year's race marks 50 years since the marathon first ran through all five boroughs in 1976, a move that shaped the modern city marathon and drew a professional field for the first time. NYRR is marking the anniversary by welcoming 1976 men's champion Bill Rodgers back for race-week festivities, alongside Danielle Mika Nagel, daughter of 1976 women's champion Miki Gorman.
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 1.
