Defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri of Kenya will chase history and back-to-back titles in Sunday’s New York Marathon.

About 60,000 runners from 140 nations are expected to compete over 26.2 miles (42.16km) through the five boroughs of New York.

Kipruto won the closest New York men’s marathon in history last year, edging compatriot Alex Mutiso by three-hundredths of a second after both crossed the finish line in 2:08:09.

The 36-year-old Kenyan will try to become the first back-to-back New York men’s winner since Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 2013.

Kipruto also won the 2021 Boston Marathon, 2022 Chicago Marathon and 2024 Tokyo Marathon titles and took third at the 2024 Paris Olympic marathon and this year’s Boston Marathon.

Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta, sixth in this year’s London Marathon, makes his North America marathon debut on the streets of New York.

There is also excitement about the marathon debut of 31-year-old Swede Andreas Almgren, who set a European half-marathon record of 58:06 last month at Copenhagen.

“I haven’t felt nervous yet. Right now it’s just excitement,” Almgren said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been so excited for a race.”

The data analyst also posted on social media: “I “m not saying good bye to track racing. I’m just saying hello to marathons.”

Obiri, 36, is well-acquainted with the distance.

She won the Boston Marathon in 2023 and 2024 and the New York Marathon in 2023 and 2025 as well as taking a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics marathon.

Obiri took her second New York City Half-Marathon title earlier this year, winning in a course-record 1:06:33.

She was this year’s London Marathon runner-up, finishing 12 seconds off the women-only marathon world record of 2:15:41 set by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa.

Obiri will try to become only the fourth woman to win a third career New York title after Norway’s Grete Waitz, Kenya’s Mary Keitany and Britain’s Paula Radcliffe.

Obiri seeks her third crown in four years after setting a course record of 2:19:51 last year.

She would be the first New York repeat women’s winner since Keitany won from 2014–16.

Clear conditions and perfect running temperatures are expected for the 50th edition of the race as it switched to a course that includes each of the city’s five boroughs, heralding the modern edition of the event.