Sheila Chepkirui Wins a Thrilling NYC Marathon Over Jess McClain and Hellen Obiri

Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya, the 2024 New York City Marathon champion and third at the race last year, made a strong move on the gradual climb up Fifth Avenue to Central Park to try to separate herself from the defending champion and course record holder, Hellen Obiri.As they made the right turn into Central Park at 90th Street, Obiri hung on as best she could, a half step behind Chepkirui.It took Chepkirui until the final 200 meters of the race to shake free of Obiri and break the tape in 2:24:36.Meanwhile, in the final steps of the race, American Jess McClain, who had fallen seven seconds behind the leaders at mile 24, overtook Obiri for second. McClain crossed in 2:24:42, and Obiri was third in 2:24:43. McClain is the first American to be on the podium in New York City since Shalane Flanagan was third in 2018. Flanagan also won in 2017.McClain showed herself to be a master of the New York course, running the tangents around the curves in Central Park while Chepkirui and Obiri swung wide.Chepkirui earns $100,000 for the win. McClain takes home a total of $85,000—she wins $60,000 for second place and $25,000 as the top American.Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!