Kenya's trio confirmed for NYC 10K road race this Saturday

Kenya's trio of Hellen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, and Agnes Ng'etich have been confirmed for this Saturday's Mastercard New York Mini 10K, the world's original women-only road race, set to take place in Central Park, New York City, on June 6, 2026.

The highly anticipated race will see three of the world's best distance runners renew their rivalry on American soil.

New York City is familiar territory for two-time champion Hellen Obiri, who first won the race in 2023 before returning last year to smash the 22-year-old course record by more than two minutes, clocking 2:19:51 to claim her second title.

Obiri, who is also a two-time Boston Marathon champion, began her 2026 season at the London Marathon on April 26, where she finished second and lowered her personal best to 2:15:53. She heads to New York with an impressive 10km résumé that includes victories in Manchester in 2019 (31:23) and 2022 (30:15), Barcelona in 2020 (30:53), Boston in 2023 (31:21), and Cape Elizabeth in 2023 (31:37).

She will face stiff competition from World Cross Country champion Agnes Ng'etich and two-time Boston Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi. The last time the trio met was at the New York Half Marathon on March 15 this year, where Obiri dominated the race, crossing the finish line in 1:06:33.

Lokedi finished second in 1:07:10, while Britain's Megan Keith completed the podium in 1:07:13. Ng'etich, meanwhile, endured a difficult race, finishing 13th in 1:10:25.

Now 25, Ng'etich will have another opportunity to bounce back in New York, returning to her preferred 10km distance. She holds the women's 10km road world record after running 28:46 in Valencia in 2024 and also owns the women's-only 10km world record, thanks to her 29:27 performance at the 2025 Adidas Adizero Road to Records meeting in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

She arrives in New York in excellent form, having opened her 2026 campaign by capturing her maiden global title at the 46th World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, where she stormed to victory in 31:28 in January.

She then dominated the women's 10km race at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, clocking 32:28, before suffering disappointment at the New York Half Marathon in March. However, she responded with another statement performance in April, winning the Lille 10K in a rapid 28:58.

Lokedi will arrive in New York fresh from successfully defending her Boston Marathon title on April 20, where she powered to victory in 2:18:51. Her credentials over the 10km distance include victory at the 2025 Boston 10K in 31:39, as well as runner-up finishes in Charleston in 2021 (31:53) and Boston the same year (31:57).

The three Kenyans will once again battle it out this Saturday in New York City in what promises to be a thrilling road race. The winner will take home $10,000 (Sh1,293,600), while second place will earn $8,000 (Sh1,034,880) and third place $5,000 (Sh646,800).

Race organizers will also reward the fourth-place finisher with $2,500 (Sh323,400), fifth place with $1,000 (Sh129,360), sixth place with $500 (Sh64,680), and seventh place with $250 (Sh 32,340).