Benson Kipruto leads Kenyan men in sweeping podium at 2025 New York City Marathon./SCREENGRABKenya continued its dominance at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon with a podium sweep in the men’s race, led by Benson Kipruto, who won in 2:08:09.
Kipruto was closely followed by Alexander Mutiso, who also clocked 2:08:09, finishing just steps behind to take second place.
Albert Korir, a former New York champion, completed the Kenyan sweep by finishing third in 2:08:57.
The all-Kenyan finish mirrored the women’s race, where Hellen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, and Sheila Chepkirui had earlier claimed the top three spots.
The historic double sweep shows Kenya’s continued strength in global marathon running, particularly in one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive races.
Obiri won the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, breaking the 22-year-old course record with a time of 2:19:51.
The previous record of 2:22:31 was set in 2003 by Kenya’s Margaret Okayo.
Obiri delivered a strong performance in the final stretch, maintaining her pace to secure back-to-back victories in New York and cement her status among the world’s top marathon runners.
Obiri was running with 2022 winner Sharon Lokedi until she pulled away from her countrymate in the final mile, surging ahead and winning easily, besting the previous course record set by Okayo in 2003.
Obiri used a 4:58 final mile to drop Boston champion Lokedi, taking 2+ minutes off the 22-year-old course record in the process.
Fellow Kenyans completed a historic podium sweep. Lokedi finished second in 2:20:07, while Chepkirui claimed third place in 2:20:24.
Winning the New York City Marathon is considered one of the highest honours in long-distance running. Because of the course’s bridges, hills, and crowds, it is known to be challenging but also extremely exciting and prestigious.
The marathon attracts elite professional athletes, recreational runners, charity teams, and tens of thousands of participants from around the world.
The TCS New York City Marathon takes place every year in New York City. The race covers 42.195 km (26.2 miles) and runs through all five boroughs of the city—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan—before finishing in Central Park.
Kenyans from across the country congratulated the athletes for their historic performance, celebrating both the men and women’s podium sweeps as a proud moment for the nation.
Messages of support flooded social media, with many describing the victories as a reminder of Kenya’s enduring strength in long-distance running and a unifying moment of national pride.
