Hellen Obiri, Adriaan Wildschutt win New York City Half Marathon

Hellen Obiri delivered another outstanding performance in the United States, breaking the course record to win the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon in New York.

The Kenyan long-distance star clocked 1 hour, 6 minutes and 33 seconds, smashing the previous course record of 1:07:04 set in 2025 by fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi.

Obiri stayed with the leading pack during the early stages of the race and was running second at the 10-kilometre mark alongside Agnes Ngetich and Lokedi. She then made a decisive move approaching the 15-kilometre mark, opening a 30-second lead which she extended to 39 seconds by 20 kilometres before sealing victory and the new course record.

Lokedi finished second in 1:07:10, while Britain’s Megan Keith came third in 1:07:13. American runner Emily Sisson was the top local finisher, placing sixth in 1:09:06.

In the men’s race, South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt won the title in 59 minutes and 30 seconds. Wildschutt stayed within the leading pack during the opening 10 kilometres before making a strong move midway through the race and taking the lead at 15 kilometres.

He built an 11-second advantage at 20 kilometres over American runner Zouhair Talbi and maintained the lead to the finish line.

Talbi finished second in 59:41, while India’s Gulveer Singh secured third place in 59:42.

Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist Grant Fisher made an impressive half-marathon debut, finishing 14th overall in 1:00:53, one of the fastest debut times ever recorded by an American-born athlete.