Sifan Hassan Withdraws from 2026 New York City Marathon
Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has pulled out of the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon due to an illness that disrupted her training.
Sifan Hassan has withdrawn from the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. The New York Road Runners announced the news on Wednesday, stating an illness had cut into the Dutch star's preparation.
This marks Hassan's second consecutive major marathon withdrawal. She also scratched from the London Marathon in April due to an Achilles tendon injury.
O’Keeffe also out with injury
Fiona O’Keeffe has also scratched from the race. The top American finisher in 2025 required surgery for a hamstring injury.
O'Keeffe had a proximal hamstring repair performed at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, last week. She withdrew from the Boston Marathon the day before the race in April with a hamstring problem. An MRI at the end of September revealed the old partial tear had turned into a fully retracted tendon tear, making surgery the next logical step.
Hassan’s recent form and history
The 34-year-old Hassan is the reigning Olympic marathon champion from the 2024 Games. Her recent marathon performances show a mix of success and setback.
| Event | Year | Result | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City Marathon | 2025 | 6th place | 2:24:43 |
| TCS Sydney Marathon | 2025 | 1st place | 2:18:22 |
| London Marathon | 2025 | 3rd place | 2:19:00 |
The Sydney victory came in the event's first year as an Abbott World Marathon Major. Despite that win, Hassan is now unlikely to race at all in 2026.
Hassan is a prolific record holder. She owns 11 national records for the Netherlands and seven European records. She also holds the women’s one-hour world record, covering 18.93 kilometres.
Obiri and Chepkirui remain in contention
With Hassan out, the women's field still features formidable contenders. Two-time champion Hellen Obiri returns. She smashed the 22-year-old course record in 2025 with a time of 2:19:51. Earlier in 2026, she finished second in the London Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:15:53.
Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui is also back. She won the 2024 New York City Marathon and finished third in the 2025 edition.
The American challenge will include Weini Kelati, the U.S. half-marathon record holder, making her marathon debut. Conner Mantz, the North American half-marathon and marathon record holder, is also expected to compete. He finished sixth and was the top American in the 2024 race.
On the men's side, the 2025 champion Benson Kipruto returns. He won that race by a fraction of a second over fellow Kenyan Alexander Mutiso. Kipruto also took bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Past winners Abdi Nageeye and Geoffrey Kamworor add further depth.
International talent includes Julia Paternain of Uruguay, who claimed bronze at the 2025 World Championships marathon in Tokyo. Andreas Almgren of Sweden, the European half-marathon record holder with a time of 58:41, will also be on the start line.
Hellen Obiri now possesses the fastest time in the field after running 2:15:53 for second in London in April.
