As spectators trickled off the subway, they lined the streets to hand out food and drinks – including bumps of caviar and Fireball shooters– and offer moral support as the cannon alerted the runners to take off.
55,000 athletes ranging from Paralympians to reality TV stars filled the streets of New York on November 2nd to participate in the New York City Marathon.
This year, the marathon not only featured quirky signs and a Wicked celebrity sighting, but it also made history. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri crossed the finish line with a final time of 2:19.15, shattering the 22-year-old record set by fellow Kenyan Margaret Okayo in 2003, beating the previous mark by a remarkable 2 minutes and 40 seconds. With a medal around her neck, Obiri earned both the $100,000 winner’s check plus an additional $50,000 in prize money for breaking the course record.
The 2025 marathon marked the second consecutive year Kenyan runners have ruled the podium. However, athlete Fiona O’Keeffe also made history, setting a new US course record as well as earning 4th place. Finishing the race in 2:22.49, O’Keeffe shaved off almost 2 minutes from the previous US record set in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Molly Seidel.
While records were being broken, a huge comeback was being made by Paralympian Ali Truwit. 10 days after crossing the finish line at the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon, Truwit was involved in a shark attack while snorkeling in Turks and Caicos. Although she was lucky to escape, her left foot and the lower part of her leg were lost in the tragic accident. Nevertheless, 2 years later, she memorably completed the New York Marathon.
Truwit, a competitive swimmer while at Yale University, returned to the water, just 16 months after her attack, to win two silver medals at the Paralympics in Paris. Then, in New York, Truwit was able to further regain her confidence by running with 13 friends and family members who contributed to saving her life. In particular, she ran side by side with her former teammate Sophie Pilkinton, who helped fight off the shark and swim her back to the boat. Interviewed by CNN Sports, Truwit declared, “We have an incredibly special bond…to come through a shark attack like that and survive together and save each other, to be running a marathon side by side, step by step, it’s just such a testament to her support and our friendship.”
Surrounded by her support system in blue shirts reading Stronger Than You Think—the name of her charity—Truwit’s team raised $220,000 by the race’s end. Radiating positivity, Truwit reflected after the race on getting to this moment, remarking, “I smile to send my body the message, I’m so grateful to be alive right now, and I know what a privilege that is.”
Further, defending her title in the wheelchair races, Susannah Scaroni was victorious for the 3rd time in 4 years. Scaroni finished the race a whole whopping 5 minutes and 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Tatyana McFadden, who has won the race 5 times.
From breaking records to exemplifying resilience, the women of the 2025 New York City Marathon displayed strength in a multitude of forms. Obiri’s record-breaking speed, Scaroni’s consistency, and Truwit’s comeback displayed each woman’s defiance, shaping the future of female competition and representing inspiration to women of all ages and athletic capabilities.