Sheila Chepkirui wins matchup of past champions in NYC Marathon, Andreas Almgren makes winning debut

NEW YORK (AP) — Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's race of the New York City Marathon for the second time in three years on Sunday while Andreas Almgren of Sweden was victorious in his debut in the distance.

Chepkirui pulled away from defending champion Hellen Obiri in the final 150 meters to seal the victory in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 36.

“The last mile was really tricky,” said Chepkirui, who also won in 2024. “I had to be patient because I knew Hellen was really strong, so I had to really push up to the finish line.”

What Chepkirui didn’t know was that American Jessica McClain had been gaining on both of the Kenyans in the final 800 meters of the race. McClain finished 6 seconds behind Chepkirui after passing Obiri — a two-time winner who set the course record in 2025 — in the final few strides. It was the first time a U.S. woman finished in the top three since 2018.

"It was a really fun, magical day out there. New York, you never know what to expect and I honestly didn’t feel like amazing through (Mile) 18, and just kind of had to stick in it and adjust as I went,” McClain said. “Top five was top of mind, then podium. I was just like, stick with it. And then all of a sudden Hellen was coming back to me, so I don’t really know what happened, but I couldn’t be happier right now.”

Almgren was making his debut at 26.2 miles after a successful career running half-marathons. He pulled away from Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy in the final mile to take the victory in 2:6.1.

“This is my first marathon. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel,” said Almgren.

Crippa finished 13 seconds behind Almgren. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho was third, edging out defending champion Benson Kipruto.

Almgren's time was the third fastest in the course's 50-year history, and six runners went under 2:07 to finish in the top 10 all-time times.

“I just tried to stay up at front and see what happened and see how the race developed,” Almgren said. “I didn’t think it was going to be that quick of a finish, but I didn’t really know anything about that. One of the reasons I choose to race New York is that you don’t care about the time but just get as good a position as possible.”

He became the first marathoner to win his debut in the event since Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia won the 2010 race. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth on Sunday and ran the fastest time ever by a U.S. runner in the event.

It was the 50th time that the race has run through all five boroughs of the city. There were just over 2,000 competitors in 1976, the seventh running of the race, including only 88 women. About 60,000 runners stepped up to the starting line Sunday, with nearly half of them women.

There were runners from more than 140 countries competing, including defending men's champion Kipruto. He won in thrilling fashion last year, edging Alexander Mutiso by three-hundredths of a second.

The New York City Marathon began in 1970, and the first six years it was run entirely inside Central Park, with runners doing loops. The race was moved out of Central Park in celebration of the U.S. bicentennial and to help uplift the city, which was struggling. It ended up turning into one of the marquee events in New York.

For the first time in 15 years, there was a minor change in the course. The runners took a slightly different route at Mile 20 when the race entered the Bronx. The move was made to reduce the number of turns in the borough from seven to five and ease some of the street closures in the area.

Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time, edging Daniel Romanchuk by just over a second. Romanchuk made a move to take over the lead in the last mile as the pair entered Central Park for the final time. Hug passed him in the final 100 meters to win.

Hug’s Swiss countrymate Catherine Debrunner pulled away from the field early to win the women’s wheelchair race, finishing in 1:40:02. It was the second-fastest time in race history, trailing her own mark by about 30 seconds from 2023. Two-time defending champion Susannah Scaroni finished third, three months after giving birth to her first child, more than eight minutes behind Debrunner.

This story has been corrected to show that Hug and Debrunner are Swiss, not Swedish.

See AP’s full sports coverage here

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya approaches the finish line of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the women's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Marcel Hug of Switzerland celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the men's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Sheila Chepkirui, center, of Kenya, Jessica McClain, left, of the United States, and Hellen Obiri, right, of Kenya, pose with their national flags after crossing the finish line in the women's division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya competes in the women's division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Sweden's Andreas Almgren, right, approaches the finish line during the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the women's division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Sweden's Andreas Almgren, right, approaches the finish line during the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Runners in the professional women's open division cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Andreas Almgren, Swedish runner, third from left, competes in the men's elite division of the New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

ROME (AP) — Villanova had the pope’s support and many more traveling fans. Notre Dame prevailed on the court.

The Fighting Irish produced a late comeback for a 74-72 victory in the men’s game that opened the college basketball season in Rome on Sunday. Then Hannah Hidalgo starred as the No. 13 Notre Dame women won to complete a sweep of Pope Leo's alma mater, beating Villanova 99-75.

The doubleheader between the two Catholic universities, dubbed the Eternal City Tip-Off, was created to honor the first American pope, who was not in attendance for the games.

But Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV did receive all four teams in an audience at the Vatican on Saturday.

“I’ve been a part of some really cool things and this is right at the top of the list of experiences,” Notre Dame men's coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “We played two road games in the (preseason) and it came in handy because the Villanova fans were loud.”

At the Vatican a day earlier, Leo told the teams from alma mater Villanova and fellow Catholic university Notre Dame that in matters of sport, the pontiff was neutral.

Then the pope, who was born Robert Prevost, said his former self might disagree.

“Prevost has another opinion, but we won’t do that now,” he said to laughs during a whooping, cheering audience of 7,000 people from both schools — players, coaches, fans and their families — in the Vatican audience hall.

Inside the basketball arena, many Villanova fans wore Wildcats jerseys featuring the name of “Pope Leo” and a “XIV” for his number.

Leo graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Villanova, the Augustinian school near Philadelphia. He was born in Chicago — not all that far from Notre Dame, which is located in South Bend, Indiana.

Villanova fans also held aloft a banner featuring Pope Leo depicted wearing a Villanova jersey reaching out to the university's president, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, in a playful scene reminiscent of Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel.

“We just had a (tough) loss, but this has been a phenomenal experience, a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Villanova men's coach Kevin Willard said.

“To see (the pope's) love for Villanova. To see what he’s done for the Catholic Church and really for people all over, it was, I don’t have the words to be perfectly honest with you, that’s how special it was. And we’re just blessed that it happened,” Willard added.

The games were played at the 11,000-seat Palazzo dello Sport, which is located about a half-hour drive from the Vatican. Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, who was considered a candidate for pope until Leo was elected last year, was at the arena. So was Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Vatican City state.

The schools also brought their team chaplains to Rome.

The games were played on All Saints’ Day — a major Catholic holiday.

Before tipoff, there was a moment of prayer and the U.S. and Italian national anthems were sung.

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Villanova forward Kwame Evans Jr. (10) reacts to a call during an NCAA college basketball game between Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

n10[ and Notre Dame forward Luke Devine (22) celebrate after an NCAA college basketball game between Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Notre Dame fans cheer before the NCAA college basketball game between Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Fans hold a poster showing Rev. Peter M. Donohue, the president of Villanova University, left, and Pope Leo XIV before the NCAA college basketball game between Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Villanova's players warm up before their game against Notre Dame in the men's Eternal City Tip-Off, a men's and women's college basketball doubleheader organized to honor the first American pope and mark the opening of the NCAA season in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Villanove brass band performs before the NCAA college basketball game between Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Villanova fan wears team jerseys with the name of Pope Leo XIV before an NCAA college basketball game between Villanova Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Villanova fans wear team jerseys with the name of Pope Leo XIV before an NCAA college basketball game between Villanova Notre Dame in Rome, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Leo XIV examines a basketball he received as a gift in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, during an audience with some 7,000 university representatives and supporters from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame, including members of their men's and women's basketball teams, ahead of the Eternal City Tip-Off, a men's and women's college basketball doubleheader in Rome on Nov. 1. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

The Villanova men's basketball team takes part in a training session in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

From left, Villanova's guards Elijah Crawford, and Brady Muller present Pope Leo XIV with a personalized Villanova's jersey as they meet in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, during an audience with some 7,000 university representatives and supporters from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame, including members of their men's and women's basketball teams, ahead of the Eternal City Tip-Off, a men's and women's college basketball doubleheader in Rome on Nov. 1. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

From left, Notre Dame's guards Braeden Smith and Logan Imes, and from right, guards Hanna Hidalgo and Kelly Ratigan present Pope Leo XIV with a personalized Notre Dame's jersey and basketball as they meet in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, during an audience with some 7,000 university representatives ahead of the Eternal City Tip-Off, a men’s and women’s college basketball doubleheader in Rome on Nov. 1. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

This combination of three images shows Pope Leo XIV as he examines a basketball he received in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, during an audience with some 7,000 university representatives and supporters from Villanova University and the University of Notre Dame, including members of their men's and women's basketball teams, ahead of the Eternal City Tip-Off, a men's and women's college basketball doubleheader in Rome on Nov. 1. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)