Two-time New York City Marathon champion Hellen Obiri will return to the drawing board to restrategise for 2027 after surrendering her title at the New York City Marathon on Sunday.
Despite relinquishing her crown to compatriot Sheila Chepkirui on the streets of the Big Apple, the 36-year-old distance ace is satisfied with her performance, acknowledging the severe physical setbacks she overcame to reach the starting line.
Her buildup was severely compromised by an ankle injury suffered in mid-July, interrupting her training and leaving her with a drastically shortened window to prepare for her title defence. On race day, the lack of full preparation made the grueling final miles an uphill battle against a elite pack.
The closing stretch proved to be a test of pure grit. Obiri fought valiantly to stay in contention, eventually settling for third place in 2:24:43—just a single second behind American runner-up Jessica McClain (2:24:42) as Chepkirui clinched victory in 2:24:36.
“First of all, I congratulate the ladies. They did amazing work,” Obiri stated. “For me, honestly, I give her all my best. I did everything to run a good race, but it was amazing to me, it was good work to me because I gave everything I had in the tank up to the last minute, up to the finish line.”
She candidly acknowledged the physical limitation stemming from her injury break.
“The last mile was so tough because I tried everything I can to push the pace, but it seemed Sheila was so strong, to be honest,” she said.
Rather than letting the loss deter her, Obiri is drawing confidence from an otherwise stellar 2026 campaign as she plans her next steps.
She opened her season by capturing the New York City Half Marathon title on March 15 in 1:06:33. She followed that with a brilliant debut at the London Marathon on April 26, storming to a personal best of 2:15:53 to finish second behind Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa. She was third at the New York 10km on June 6, clocking 31:10.
Obiri’s immediate priority is full recovery, followed by structured, uninterrupted training regimen aimed at reclaiming her dominance on the world stage.
