2021 New York City Marathon

After the 2020 New York City Marathon was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[1] the 2021 race was confirmed in June 2021 by Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo.[2] It was held on its traditional date of the first Sunday in November.[2] It was the last of the five World Marathon Majors held in 2021; all of the events in the series were run in the space of six weeks between late September and early November.[3][lower-alpha 1] The 2021 New York City Marathon was sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services.[5] Both elite races had prize money of $100,000, $60,000 and $40,000 for the top three finishers, plus $25,000 for the highest finishing American competitor in each race.[6][7] Both wheelchair races awarded prize money of $25,000, $20,000 and $15,000 for the top three finishers in each event.[8]

Given the ongoing pandemic, the number of runners was limited to 33,000,[2] and competitors were required to either prove that they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or had a recent negative COVID-19 test.[9] Competitors were required to wear face coverings at all times apart from during the race.[10] Competitors started in five different timeslots, to minimize crowding on the course.[11]

Albert Korir won the elite men's race.

The elite women's race featured Peres Jepchirchir, who won the marathon event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics,[15] and had the fastest personal best time of all competitors in the field.[16] Molly Seidel, who came third in the Olympic marathon, also competed[17] and it was the first New York City Marathon for both Jepchirchir[18][19] and Seidel.[17] Ababel Yeshaneh and Nancy Kiprop, who came second and fourth respectively at the 2019 Chicago Marathon also featured,[18] as did 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden. Americans Sally Kipyego, Aliphine Tuliamuk and Emily Sisson also competed.[15] 2019 winner Joyciline Jepkosgei did not compete, as she chose to run the 2021 London Marathon instead.[20]

The elite men's race featured Kenenisa Bekele, his first appearance at the event. Bekele had not competed in a race in New York since 2006, but was convinced by New York Road Runners to attend.[21][22] Albert Korir and Girma Bekele Gebre, who came second and third respectively at the 2019 event, also competed.[23] Abdi Nageeye, who came second in the Olympic marathon event raced, as well as Kibiwott Kandie, the world record holder in the half marathon; it was Kandie's first marathon race.[21] 2016 winner Ghirmay Ghebreslassie competed,[18] and other competitors with a personal best of under 2:10:00 included Noah Droddy, Callum Hawkins and Jared Ward. Canadian Ben Preisner, whose personal best is just outside 2:10:00, also raced; it was his first World Marathon Major.[21]

The women's wheelchair race featured Manuela Schär, who had won the last three New York City Marathons, and set the course record in 2019.[24] Also competing were five-time winner Tatyana McFadden,[15] who last won the event in 2016,[17] as well as twice former champion Amanda McGrory,[15] Nikita den Boer, who won the 2020 London Marathon,[24] and Susannah Scaroni,[15] who recorded the fastest time at the virtual 2020 New York City Marathon.[25]

The men's wheelchair race featured 2018 and 2019 winner Daniel Romanchuk, as well as three time former champion Marcel Hug.[24] Other competitors included Aaron Pike, who came fourth in the 2018[26] and 2019 races, Ernst van Dyk, who had won the Boston Marathon on 10 occasions, and David Weir, who was an eight-time winner of the London Marathon.[24]

Marcel Hug and Madison de Rozario won the men's and women's wheelchair races respectively.

The wheelchair races started at 08:00 EST (13:00 UTC), the elite women's event commenced at 08:40 EST and the elite men's competition began at 09:05 EST.[27]

The elite women's race was won by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir, ahead of fellow Kenyan Viola Cheptoo and Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh.[7] Jepchirchir took control of the race after 18 miles (29 km), but Jepchirchir, Cheptoo and Yeshaneh were still together as the race headed into Central Park.[7] Molly Seidel finished fourth overall; her time of 2:24:42 was the fastest ever by an American woman at the New York City Marathon,[7] beating Kara Goucher's time in the 2008 race by over a minute.[28] Shalane Flanagan finished her sixth marathon major of the year (including the virtual Tokyo Marathon).[28]

The elite men's event was won by Kenyan Albert Korir, ahead of Moroccan Mohamed El Araby and Italian Eyob Faniel.[6] It was Korir's first victory at a World Marathon Major.[29] El Araby and Faniel took the lead early in the race, and at the halfway point, they were 51 seconds ahead of a chasing group containing Korir. Around 18 miles (29 km) into the race, the pair were caught by Korir and Kibiwott Kandie, and Korir took the lead around 2 miles (3.2 km) later.[6] American Elkanah Kibet finished fourth overall, and won $25,000 for being the highest finishing American competitor.[6]

The wheelchair women's event was won by Australian Madison de Rozario, the first time that the event had been won by an Australian.[8] De Rozario, Manuela Schär and Tatyana McFadden traded the lead early on.[8] Schär was dropped from the leading group after around 30 kilometres (19 mi),[28] and de Rozario took the race lead on the Queensboro Bridge.[8] McFadden and Schär finished the race in second and third respectively.[8]

The wheelchair men's event was won by Swiss athlete Marcel Hug; it was his fourth New York City Marathon victory.[8] Hug led the race throughout, and after 20 kilometres (12 mi), he had a lead of three minutes over Briton David Weir,[8] and was on track to beat the course record.[28] Hug eventually won by over 6 minutes, ahead of Weir and Daniel Romanchuk, who finished second and third respectively.[8] Hug's finishing time was slower than the course record, as he lost time on hilly sections in the latter half of the race.[28]

Non-elite race

Kelli O'Hara sang the national anthem and also competed in the race.

The mass participation event commenced in five waves between 09:10 and 12:00 EST.[27] Around 30,000 people competed in the mass participation event.[29] Celebrities who participated included former international women's soccer players Abby Wambach, Lauren Holiday, Kate Markgraf and Leslie Osborne, as well as former American footballer Tiki Barber. Actress Kelli O'Hara competed and also sang the national anthem before the event.[30]

Only the top 10 finishers in each race are listed.

Men

Elite men's top 10 finishers[31]

Position	Athlete	Nationality	Time
	Albert Korir	Kenya	02:08:22
	Mohamed El Araby	Morocco	02:09:06
	Eyob Faniel	Italy	02:09:52
4	Elkanah Kibet	United States	02:11:15
5	Abdi Nageeye	Netherlands	02:11:39
6	Kenenisa Bekele	Ethiopia	02:12:52
7	Ben True	United States	02:12:53
8	Nathan Martin	United States	02:12:57
9	Kibiwott Kandie	Kenya	02:13:43
10	Jared Ward	United States	02:13:43

Women

Elite women's top 10 finishers[32]

Position	Athlete	Nationality	Time
	Peres Jepchirchir	Kenya	02:22:39
	Viola Cheptoo	Kenya	02:22:44
	Ababel Yeshaneh	Ethiopia	02:22:52
4	Molly Seidel	United States	02:24:42
5	Helalia Johannes	Namibia	02:26:09
6	Kellyn Taylor	United States	02:26:10
7	Annie Frisbie	United States	02:26:18
8	Laura Thweatt	United States	02:27:00
9	Grace Kahura	Kenya	02:30:32
10	Stephanie Bruce	United States	02:31:05

Wheelchair men

Wheelchair men's top 10 finishers[33]

Position	Athlete	Nationality	Time
	Marcel Hug	Switzerland	01:31:24
	David Weir	United Kingdom	01:38:01
	Daniel Romanchuk	United States	01:38:22
4	Josh Cassidy	Canada	01:40:38
5	Ernst van Dyk	South Africa	01:41:51
6	Patrick Monahan	Ireland	01:41:53
7	Johnboy Smith	United Kingdom	01:43:23
8	Rafael Botello	Spain	01:43:37
9	Sho Watanabe	Japan	01:43:39
10	Krige Schabort	United States	01:44:25

Wheelchair women

Wheelchair women's top 10 finishers[34]

Position	Athlete	Nationality	Time
	Madison de Rozario	Australia	01:51:01
	Tatyana McFadden	United States	01:53:59
	Manuela Schär	Switzerland	01:54:02
4	Jenna Fesemyer	United States	01:59:45
5	Vanessa de Souza	Brazil	01:59:45
6	Yen Hoang	United States	02:02:38
7	Shelly Woods	United Kingdom	02:09:42
8	Michelle Wheeler	United States	02:18:13
9	Arielle Rausin	United States	02:25:21
10	Margriet van den Broek	Netherlands	02:28:10