Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan, two of the most compelling figures in distance running over the past decade, have been confirmed to join the elite field at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, organisers New York Road Runners announced. Both athletes will make their debuts in the iconic five-borough race on Sunday, November 2.
For Kipchoge, the 40-year-old Kenyan regarded by many as the greatest marathoner in history, this will mark the final major in his Abbott World Marathon Majors portfolio.
Though he has claimed victories in Berlin, London, Chicago, and Tokyo, New York remains the only one of the original majors that he has not yet contested. “Running the TCS New York City Marathon has been a long-standing goal of mine,” Kipchoge said in a statement. “I’m honoured to join the tens of thousands of runners who will run through the five boroughs in November.”
Hassan, 32 and representing the Netherlands, has already impressed over her relatively recent foray into the marathon distance. Her rise has been swift: she won the London Marathon in her debut in 2023, added an Olympic gold medal in the marathon at Paris 2024, and most recently broke the tape in Sydney in 2:18:22 after placing third in London earlier this year with a time of 2:19:00.
Hassan described her inclusion in the New York field as another challenge she relishes. “The TCS New York City Marathon is legendary,” she said. “I love a challenge and am ready to test myself against the world’s best athletes.”
The announcement raises expectations and questions in equal measure. Kipchoge comes into New York still chasing top form. His most recent outing was at the Sydney Marathon on August 31, where he placed ninth in 2:08:31—an honest performance, but one that showed he can be dropped from the leading pack.
Meanwhile, for Hassan the terrain and layout of New York present both an opportunity and a test. The undulating course—marked by bridges, rolling hills, and variable conditions—has often reshaped elite fields, demanding strength, tactical awareness, and resilience beyond pure speed.
New York Road Runners also highlighted the depth of competition. On the men’s side, defending champion Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands returns, while past New York winners such as Evans Chebet and Albert Korir will be in the mix. The women’s field will feature familiar names like Sheila Chepkirui, Hellen Obiri, and Sharon Lokedi—each with experience and pedigree on courses like New York.
Kipchoge’s story has long been one of steady accumulation of achievements. Since his marathon debut in 2013 at Hamburg, he has gone on to win eleven majors and successfully defended Olympic gold in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. He famously broke the two-hour barrier in the 2019 INEOS 1:59 Challenge, though that run was not ratified as an official world record due to its experimental support format.
New York represents both a final frontier and a symbolic culmination: completing all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and adding the New York star to a nearly complete constellation of marathon conquests.
Hassan’s background is different: a decorated track star who later expanded her range, she has embraced the leather of the roads—the longer distance, unpredictable terrain, and the tactics of marathon racing.
Her Olympic performance in 2024 was particularly dramatic: competing in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and marathon over a span of nine days, she earned medals in all three events—a feat unmatched in recent history. Her rapid rise over six marathons, with four wins, has positioned her as a pre-race favourite in many eyes for New York.
For Kipchoge, stepping onto the start line in New York means more than adding a new major to his résumé. It’s a chance to affirm that even as age advances and competition intensifies, the hunger to test one’s limits remains.
As he himself put it: “I look forward to the city’s energy, its passionate running community, and the challenge of the iconic course.” For Hassan, it is another opportunity to stretch her legacy further, to be tested afresh, and to see how her continued ascent holds up under one of the toughest road marathon challenges on the calendar.