Kenya will field a strong contingent of experienced marathoners and emerging talent at the 2026 New York City Marathon, with defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri leading the country's charge on Sunday, 1 November.The Kenyan team boasts an impressive blend of World Marathon Major champions, Olympic medalists and athletes looking to make their mark on one of the world's most prestigious road races.Download our MozzartSport App For More NewsGeoffrey Kamworor, CyBrian Kotut and Edward Cheserek headline the men's field alongside Kipruto, while Patrick Kiprop is set to make his marathon debut at the event.In the women's race, Obiri will be joined by Sheila Chepkirui, Viola Cheptoo, Edna Kiplagat and Mercy Chelangat as Kenya seeks to maintain its dominance on the international marathon stage.Men's contingentBenson KiprutoBenson Kipruto heads into the race as the defending champion, looking to build on his impressive record at the World Marathon Majors.The Kenyan, whose personal best (PB) stands at 2:02:16, returns to New York following his victory in the 2025 edition. He has established himself as one of the most consistent marathoners in the world, with four major marathon victories to his name.Kipruto has 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 also claimed bronze in the men's marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.His 2026 campaign has included a third-place finish at the Boston Marathon in April, where he clocked 2:02:50 in a race won by compatriot John Korir. He also competed at the Bogotá Half Marathon in July as he prepared for his title defence.Kipruto will be aiming to cap his season with another major victory in New York, where he faces a competitive field of international marathoners.Former Boston Marathon champion fighting ex-husband in property rulingCyBrian KotutCyBrian Kotut will be seeking a fresh start when he makes his New York City Marathon debut on Sunday.The Kenyan heads into the race with a PB of 2:03:22, having established himself among the country's competitive marathon runners.Kotut finished third at the 2025 Boston Marathon but failed to finish this year's edition, making the New York race an opportunity to bounce back and deliver a strong performance.His experience at major international marathons will be valuable as he tackles the demanding New York course for the first time.Geoffrey KamwororGeoffrey Kamworor will be chasing a historic achievement as he targets a third New York City Marathon title.The two-time winner, who triumphed in 2017 and 2019, is aiming to become the first Kenyan man to win the race three times.Kamworor has enjoyed a mixed but promising 2026 season. In February, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 58:13, recording a world-leading time for the year at the time and returning to the top of the podium at the race 13 years after his first victory there.He later finished eighth at the London Marathon in April, clocking 2:05:38.With a PB of 2:04:23, Kamworor brings considerable experience to the New York field. His previous victories demonstrate his ability to navigate the race's challenging course, and he will be hoping to reclaim the title he last won in 2019.##NAJAVA_MECA_10075968##Edward CheserekEdward Cheserek will be looking to put a difficult outing at the Paris Marathon behind him when he lines up in New York.Cheserek, who has a PB of 2:05:24, endured an injury-disrupted race in Paris in April. Despite attempting to push through the discomfort, the injury forced him to significantly reduce his pace, and he eventually finished in 2:30:00.The setback prompted a structured rehabilitation and strength-building programme at the 42 House training camp in Kenya under the Kiprun project. His recovery has focused on rebuilding core and lower-body stability before returning to the high training volumes associated with elite marathon running.Cheserek made his New York City Marathon debut in 2023, finishing eighth in 2:11:07. He will be hoping to produce a stronger performance on his return, provided his recovery and preparation allow him to compete at his best.Patrick KipropPatrick Kiprop completes the Kenyan men's contingent as he prepares for his marathon debut in New York.The race will offer the Kenyan an opportunity to test himself over the 42.195km distance on one of the sport's biggest stages.Women's contingentHellen Obiri leads Kenyan chargeHellen Obiri will headline the women's team as she seeks to defend her New York City Marathon title.Obiri won the 2025 edition in a course-record time of 2:19:51, adding another major marathon victory to an already decorated career. She previously won the race in 2023 in 2:25:49 and finished second in 2024.The two-time Boston Marathon champion, having won the race in 2023 and 2024, also claimed Olympic marathon bronze at the Paris 2024 Games.Her 2026 season has further underlined her consistency. Obiri won the New York City Half Marathon in March in a course-record 1:06:33 before finishing second at the London Marathon in April in a personal-best 2:15:53.With a marathon PB of 2:15:53, Obiri will be among the leading contenders in New York. Another victory would strengthen her status as one of the outstanding marathoners of her generation.Obiri, Chepkirui renew rivalry in New York City, who wins?Sheila Chepkirui arrives in strong formSheila Chepkirui will be another major threat in the women's race following a series of impressive performances in 2026.Chepkirui successfully defended her Nagoya Women's Marathon title in March, winning in 2:21:54 despite windy conditions.She followed that performance with victory at the Great North Run and a third-place finish in the women's classification at the NN Dam tot Damloop 10-mile race in September.With a marathon PB of 2:17:29, Chepkirui heads to New York in encouraging form and will be aiming to translate her recent road-racing success into a strong marathon performance.Viola Cheptoo brings sub-2:20 credentialsViola Cheptoo will be seeking to make an impact after delivering one of the strongest marathon performances of her career in Tokyo.Cheptoo celebrated her 37th birthday with a sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon, clocking a personal-best 2:19:05.The performance placed her among the select group of women who have broken the 2:20 barrier, underlining her credentials as she prepares to compete against a strong international field in New York.Edna Kiplagat brings experience and pedigreeVeteran Edna Kiplagat will add considerable experience to the Kenyan women's team as she continues her remarkable career at 46.The two-time world marathon champion won gold at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu and successfully defended her title in Moscow in 2013, becoming the first woman to retain the world marathon crown.Kiplagat has also enjoyed considerable success at the World Marathon Majors, winning the New York City Marathon in 2010, the London Marathon in 2014 and the Boston Marathon in 2017 and 2021.Her 2021 Boston victory at the age of 41 made her the oldest winner of a World Marathon Major.In 2026, Kiplagat finished fifth at the Cape Town Marathon in 2:25:44. With a personal best of 2:19:50, she will be hoping to draw on her vast experience as she takes on another major marathon challenge.##NAJAVA_MECA_10075977##Mercy Chelangat targets another strong showingMercy Chelangat completes the Kenyan women's contingent after establishing herself as one of the country's promising marathon talents.Chelangat finished fourth at the 2026 Boston Marathon, recording a personal-best time of 2:20:30 in only her second career marathon.The performance demonstrated her ability to compete with established names over the marathon distance and provided a significant boost to her growing reputation.She will now look to build on that breakthrough in New York, where she faces another opportunity to test herself against some of the world's leading marathon runners.Julius Yego pens lengthy warning to athletes amidst doping menace
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