In his very first marathon, Andreas Almgren won the 2026 New York City Marathon with a time of 2:06:01—the fourth-fastest time in the race’s history and the second-fastest ever run by a Swedish male runner. The Swede became the first to win the race and broke down in tears at the finish line. See the historic victory at the bottom of the article.
Andreas Almgren, 31, has made Swedish sports history. In his very first marathon, he won the 2026 New York City Marathon with a time of 2:06:01. That is the fourth-fastest time ever in the race’s history and the second-fastest time ever run by a Swedish male runner—just four seconds shy of the Swedish record.
Almgren stayed near the front of the leading pack the entire way. When the race came down to the wire on Central Park South, he made the decisive move a few minutes before the finish line. The African Yemaneberhan Crippa couldn't keep up and crossed the finish line 13 seconds later. The African Kamohelo Mofolo took third place. Previously, no Swedish male runner had finished higher than tenth in New York – Tommy Persson finished in tenth place in 1981. Now Almgren is the first Swede to win.
The first time he runs a marathon
He had never run that distance before. After the European Championships in Birmingham, he trained intensively for eleven weeks. He knew he was in good shape, but he didn’t know how that would translate to a marathon. At the finish line, it all hit him. As he hugged his friends and his manager, the tears came. ”I don't think I've ever been this emotional after a race”, he said. The atmosphere in New York surprised him, even though he had expected it to be fantastic. Especially when you entered Manhattan.
For his victory, he’ll receive $100,000—nearly one million kronor. Almgren says it’s clear he has a future in marathon running as well, and that this will be a pleasant dilemma ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A proud Swede who, in his debut, defied most experts and made history on the world’s biggest marathon stage.
The Royal Family Sends a Telegram
Andreas Almgren's recent victories have made him famous throughout the country; even the Swedish royal family is following his career.
”With your extraordinary strength and endurance, you have recently run straight into the hearts of the Swedish people. Your marathon performance in New York today was historic. We send our warmest congratulations on this achievement.”, ", the King and Queen write in their telegram to the runner.
It's absolutely incredible—it brings tears to your eyes.