2026 NYC Marathon Elite Field Preview from Marathon Handbook Podcast

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2026 NYC Marathon Elite Field Preview

43 minutes Posted Aug 24, 2026 at 2:12 am.

Intro

Men's elite field overview: Benson Kipruto leads a loaded field

Why NYC runs slow (and why the course records are still in danger)

Zouhair Talbi: America's new marathon record threat

The race within the race: can an American win New York?

Don't sleep on Casey Klinger

Abdi Nageeye, Iliass Aouani & Edward Cheserek join the mix

The deep American men's field: Ward, Flavin, Klecker, Ford

Andreas Almgren's marathon debut

Women's field: Sifan Hassan returns for redemption

Defending champion Hellen Obiri & the Kenyan depth chart

America's breakout trio: Jess McLain, Annie Frisbie & Fiona O'Keefe

Julia Paternain, Steph Bruce & more names to know

A highly anticipated marathon debut

Bold predictions: men's winner & top American

Shoe corner: what will Conner Mantz wear in New York?

Bold predictions: women's winner & top American

Shoe corner: the mystery shoe on the women's side

Biggest storylines: American supremacy & a loaded field

Redemption arcs and a new docuseries tease

Is the marathon changing forever? Super shoes & sub-2 talk

Legacy watch: is this the greatest marathon era ever?

Celebrating 50 years of the five-borough course

What's next: live shows in NYC, Sydney, Chicago & Berlin

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Show notes

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.

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