2026 NYC Marathon Elite Field Preview
About this episode
Michael and Alex preview the elite field for the 2026 NYC Marathon, discussing key contenders and predictions.
The 2026 New York City Marathon elite fields just dropped, and Michael and Alex are breaking down every contender... recorded fresh off a workout with Conner Mantz, Casey Klinger, and Clayton Young in Provo, Utah. On the men's side: defending champion Benson Kipruto, American record holder Zouhair Talbi, and a red-hot Conner Mantz headline a field where 10 athletes have run faster than the current course record. On the women's side: Sifan Hassan looks for redemption after a brutal fall stretch, defending champ Hellen Obiri returns, and a stacked American trio (Jess McLain, Annie Frisbie, Fiona O'Keefe) chases the country's first NYC women's champion since 2009. Plus: a can't-miss marathon debut, a deep dive into what shoes the elites will be wearing on November 1st, and some genuinely bold predictions. Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com Send us a question: https://marathonhandbook.com/podcast/ Join our newsletter: https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/
People in this episode
Hosts: Michael, Alex
Topics covered
- 2026 NYC Marathon
- elite runners
- marathon predictions
- shoe technology
- race analysis
Keywords
- NYC Marathon
- elite field
- Benson Kipruto
- Sifan Hassan
- marathon shoes
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Marathon Handbook
Places: New York City, Provo, Utah
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