Kenyan athletes are set to chase top honors and a potential KSh13 million payday at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Benson Kipruto returns after winning the 2025 men’s race in one of the closest finishes in the event’s history.
Meanwhile, Obiri is back after winning the women’s title in 2025 and setting a new course record of 2:19:51.
“Defending champions Hellen Obiri of Kenya, Benson Kipruto of Kenya, and Marcel Hug of Switzerland will return to headline the women’s open division and men’s open and wheelchair divisions,” New York City Marathon notice read.
Benson Kipruto Leads Kenyan Men in The Elite Field
Benson Kipruto is among Kenya’s most accomplished marathon runners, with four Abbott World Marathon Majors victories and an Olympic bronze medal.
Born on March 17, 1991, Kipruto won the Boston Marathon in 2021, the Chicago Marathon in 2022, the Tokyo Marathon in 2024, and the New York City Marathon in 2025.
He set a personal best of 2:02:16 at the Tokyo Marathon on March 3, 2024. He also claimed bronze in the men’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Benson Kipruto made his New York City Marathon debut in November 2025, clocking 2:08:09 and edging compatriot Alexander Mutiso by three hundredths of a second to claim the title.
He returned to the Boston Marathon in April 2026, finishing third in a time that was faster than the previous course record of 2:03:02.
During the November 1 marathon, he will be joined by CyBrian Kotut, whose personal best is 2:03:22; Geoffrey Kamworor, with a best of 2:04:23; and Edward Cheserek, who has run 2:05:24.
The Kenyan men will face a competitive international field that includes athletes from Ethiopia, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy and Japan.
Kenyan Women In The Elite Field
Obiri leads a group of five Kenyan women entered in the elite race.
Born on December 13, 1989, in Kisii, Obiri first made her mark on the track, winning the 5,000 meters at the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships.
She also won Olympic silver medals in the 5,000 meters at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games before transitioning to marathon running.
Obiri won the Boston Marathon in 2023 and 2024, and the New York City Marathon in 2023 and 2025. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, she won bronze in the women’s marathon.
Obiri made her New York City Marathon debut in 2022, finishing sixth. She returned in 2023 and became the first woman in 34 years to win both the Boston and New York City marathons in the same year.
In 2025, she claimed her second New York title in 2:19:51, setting a new women’s course record.
Hellen recorded a personal best of 2:15:53 when she finished second at the London Marathon on April 26, 2026.
She also won the United Airlines NYC Half in a course-record time of 1:06:33.
She will be joined by Sheila Chepkirui, who has a personal best of 2:17:29; Viola Cheptoo, with 2:19:05; Edna Kiplagat, with 2:19:50; and Mercy Chelangat, whose personal best is 2:20:30.
Also Read: Abraham Kiptum Wins Nairobi Marathon 2026 After Years Away from Competitive Racing
New York City Marathon prize-money breakdown
According to the New York City Marathon 2026 organizers, the men’s and women’s Open Division champions will each receive $100,000, equivalent to approximately KSh13 million
Second-place finishers will earn $60,000, and third-place finishers will receive $40,000, while the athlete finishing in the 10th position will receive $2,000.
The marathon has several prize-money categories, including the Open, USA, Masters, Wheelchair and NYRR Member divisions.
However, the USA Division is restricted to US citizens who are not eligible to represent another federation in international competition.
| Category / Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
| Open Division | $100,000 | $60,000 | $40,000 | $25,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $7,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $2,000 |
| USA Division | $25,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Masters Division (40+) | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wheelchair Division | $50,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | — | — | — | — |
| NYRR Member Division | $5,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NYRR Member Division 40+ | $500 | $250 | $150 | $100 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NYRR Member Teams | $1,500 | $1,000 | $500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Additional Bonuses
Beyond the standard prize money, New York Road Runners will pay a $50,000 bonus to the winners of the men’s and women’s Open Division races and wheelchair races if they break the existing course records.
The men’s record stands at 2:04:58, set by Tamirat Tola in 2023, while Obiri holds the women’s record of 2:19:51, set in 2025.
According to the official results, the men’s wheelchair record is 1:25:26, set by Marcel Hug in 2022, while Catherine Debrunner holds the women’s record of 1:39:32, set in 2023.
Eligible NYRR members can also earn time bonuses. Men who finish under 2:18:00 receive $1,000, those under 2:19:00 receive $750, and those under 2:20:00 receive $500.
Women and nonbinary athletes can earn $1,000 for finishing under 2:41:00, $750 for a time below 2:42:00, and $500 for completing the race in under 2:43:00.
Also Read: Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich Breaks Record in Tokyo Half Marathon Win
Prize-Money Eligibility
The New York City Marathon is a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label race and operates under World Athletics rules.
To qualify for prize money in any category, an athlete must complete the course in three hours and 10 minutes or faster.
Athletes must have held a valid paid NYRR membership from at least May 1, 2026, through race day and completed six fully scored NYRR races between November 3, 2025, and October 25, 2026.
“All prize money amounts are equal for men, women, and nonbinary categories and subject to all applicable rules and policies regarding prize money. To be eligible for prize money, a runner must have had a valid paid NYRR membership since at least three months before race day (October 10, 2025) through at least the date of the race, and must complete the course in 42 minutes or less,” the organizers stated.
Open Division prize money is restricted to athletes competing in the Professional/Invited Athlete start, and finishing positions are determined by gun time.
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