Kenyan long-distance runner Geoffrey Kamworor will be seeking to revive his marathon ambitions when he returns to the New York City Marathon this weekend, a race he has won twice in his illustrious career.
Nicknamed “The Tank” for his aggressive front-running style and remarkable endurance, Kamworor will face compatriot and defending champion Benson Kipruto as he targets a third bite of the Big Apple.
The 33-year-old made his New York debut in 2015, finishing second in 2:10:48 behind fellow Kenyan Stanley Biwott, who won in 2:10:34.
Kamworor returned in 2017 to claim his maiden title, edging compatriot Wilson Kipsang' by three seconds in a closely contested race. Kamworor clocked 2:10:53, while Kipsang' finished in 2:10:56. Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa took third place in 2:11:32.
In 2018, Kamworor finished third in 2:06:26 as Desisa won in 2:05:59, ahead of compatriot Shura Kitata, who clocked 2:06:01.
He bounced back in 2019 to reclaim the title in 2:08:13, leading another Kenyan one-two as Albert Korir finished second in 2:08:36. Ethiopia’s Girma Bekele completed the podium in 2:08:38.
His most recent appearance in New York, in 2024, yielded a fifth-place finish in 2:08:50. The Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye won in 2:07:39, ahead of Kenyans Evans Chebet (2:07:45) and Korir (2:08:00).
As he prepares for another attempt at victory, Kamworor has stressed the importance of patience and discipline over the marathon distance.
“The marathon is a long distance, so the key is patience. If you don’t have patience, you will not achieve anything,” he said.
He added that patience was equally important during the two to three months of preparation required for a marathon.
Kamworor also credited the training environment at the Global Sports Communication (GSC) camp in Kaptagat for helping him maintain his competitive edge.
“The camp is so special because there are great achievements at the camp. We have many Olympic medals, many world titles and world records, as well as many great achievements at the World Marathon Majors,” he said.
The camp is home to some of the world’s leading distance runners, including marathon great Eliud Kipchoge, four-time world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Dutch Olympic marathon silver medallist Abdi Nageeye. It is coached by Patrick Sang, one of the sport’s most respected distance-running coaches.
Kamworor heads to New York after mixed results in his 2026 campaign. He opened the season with victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 14, clocking 58:14 ahead of Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew (58:23) and Kenya’s Gideon Rono (58:38).
However, he finished eighth at the London Marathon on April 26 in 2:05:38, as compatriot Sebastian Sawe produced a historic performance, winning in 1:59:30 to become the first man to break two hours in an official marathon. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, while Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo was third in 2:00:28.
Despite the mixed marathon results, Kamworor boasts an impressive record across road running, cross country and track.
He is a three-time world half marathon champion, having won titles in Copenhagen in 2014, Cardiff in 2016 and Valencia in 2018.
In cross country, he won the world junior title in Punta Umbria in 2011 before claiming senior crowns in Guiyang in 2015 and Kampala in 2017. He also earned bronze at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus.
On the track, Kamworor won silver in the 10,000m at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
With two New York titles already to his name, he will be hoping to add another chapter to his remarkable career this weekend.
