Two-time champion Geoffrey Kamworor will be chasing a third New York City Marathon title on Sunday, November 1, when he lines up against compatriot and defending champion Benson Kipruto in a race that marks 50 years of the event's five-borough course.

Kamworor, 33, nicknamed "The Tank" for his front-running style, told The Star that patience would decide the race. "The marathon is a long distance, so the key is patience. If you don't have patience, you will not achieve anything," he said.

Kamworor's New York story

New York has been good to the Kaptagat-based athlete. He finished second on his debut in 2015 behind fellow Kenyan Stanley Biwott, then won in 2017, beating Wilson Kipsang by three seconds. He was third in 2018 and reclaimed the crown in 2019, leading a Kenyan one-two with Albert Korir. On his last visit in 2024 he finished fifth.

His 2026 season has been mixed. He won the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February in 58:14 but was eighth at the London Marathon in April in 2:05:38, the race in which Sebastian Sawe became the first man to run under two hours in an official marathon.

Kamworor credited the Global Sports Communication camp in Kaptagat, coached by Patrick Sang and home to Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon, for keeping him sharp. "The camp is so special because there are great achievements at the camp," he said.

The men's field

Kipruto, who won last year by edging compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao by three hundredths of a second, carries the fastest personal best in the field at 2:02:16. The organisers' entry list also includes:

  • Ethiopia's Deresa Geleta (2:02:38)
  • Kenya's CyBrian Kotut (2:03:22) and Edward Cheserek (2:05:24)
  • 2024 champion Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, a Kaptagat training partner of Kamworor
  • American record holder Conner Mantz and Zouhair Talbi
  • Kenya's Patrick Kiprop and Sweden's Andreas Almgren, both making their marathon debuts

Obiri the favourite in the women's race

In the women's race, Hellen Obiri returns as defending champion after setting a course record of 2:19:51 last year, which broke a mark that had stood for 22 years. She won in 2023 as well. Her main threat is expected to be fellow Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, the 2024 winner.

Kenya also has Viola Cheptoo, veteran Edna Kiplagat and Mercy Chelangat in the field. The race has lost two big names, with Olympic champion Sifan Hassan withdrawing on October 14 and 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase also pulling out, according to LetsRun.

The race starts on Staten Island and finishes in Central Park. With Kenyans holding both titles, a win for either Obiri or Kipruto would add to Kenya's long record in one of the World Marathon Majors.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons/Martineric (CC BY-SA 2.0); The Star/Handout. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.