Top U.S. and International Stars Set to Compete in NYC Marathon Ahead of 2028 Trials
American record-holder Conner Mantz and leading U.S. female marathoner Jess McClain will headline the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1, which also features Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and Kenyan title-defenders Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto.
The New York City Marathon on Nov. 1 will be led by American record-breaker Conner Mantz, who last set the U.S. mark of 2:04:43 in Chicago in October 2025 and is returning after withdrawing from Boston due to lingering injuries. Joining him is Jess McClain, the fastest U.S. woman since the Paris Olympics, who posted a 2:20:49 Boston time this year. The elite international roster features Olympic gold-medalist Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and Kenya’s defending champions Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto.
The race serves as a preview for the March 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis, where three men and three women will qualify for the Los Angeles Games. Other key athletes include Morocco’s 2024 Olympian Zouhair Talbi, now a U.S. citizen and eligible for the trials, as well as marathon debutants Fiona O'Keeffe and Weini Kelati. The wheelchair competition will see seven-time champion Marcel Hug and three-time U.S. champion Daniel Romanchuk, with American Tatyana McFadden leading the women’s field.
Why it matters
The race highlights the athletes who will likely shape the U.S. marathon team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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