Kenyan Runners Sweep Professional Divisions at 2025 New York City Marathon
Kenya's Hellen Obiri set a course record (2:19:51) and Benson Kipruto won the men's race, while Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni repeated as wheelchair champions.
November 2, 2025 - 11:42 AM ET • 2 min read
The 54th annual TCS New York City Marathon concluded Sunday, with Kenyan athletes dominating the professional running divisions and two previous champions repeating their victories in the professional wheelchair races.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya won the professional women's race, setting a new course record with a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 51 seconds. Obiri's time shattered the previous course record of 2:22:31, which had stood since 2003. She finished 16 seconds ahead of fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, who took the runner-up spot.
In the professional men's race, Benson Kipruto, also representing Kenya, claimed victory in a photo finish. Kipruto crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 9 seconds, edging out runner-up Alexander Mutiso by less than one second. The professional races concluded the 26.2-mile journey that began on Staten Island and traversed the five boroughs before finishing in Central Park.
The professional wheelchair division saw repeat champions Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Susannah Scaroni of the United States secure decisive victories.
Hug, often referred to as the "Silver Bullet," won the men's wheelchair race in 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 16 seconds. This victory marked Hug's record seventh New York City Marathon championship. Hug led the race from the start, finishing nearly four minutes ahead of last year's runner-up, David Weir, who finished in 1:34:09. Hug's win in New York followed a dominant year in which he secured six of the seven global major marathon titles.
Susannah Scaroni repeated as the women's wheelchair champion, securing her third title in New York. Both Hug and Scaroni had previously won the New York City Marathon together in 2022, when they both set course records.
The 2025 marathon saw between 50,000 and 55,000 participants from around the world take to the streets of New York City. The weather conditions were described as ideal for the world's largest road race, with temperatures expected to rise into the mid-to-upper 50s by midmorning.
The event also featured the New York debut of two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge. The 40-year-old runner is considered a legendary figure in the sport and was among the notable elite athletes competing for one of the most prestigious crowns on the world marathon majors circuit. The professional wheelchair division kicked off the day's events at 8 a.m. EST.