New York City Marathon: Records, stats and past winners 

The annual New York City Marathon is almost here, with over 50,000 amateur and professional runners readying themselves for the challenges of the World Marathon Major that takes place this Sunday 6 November.

The first New York City Marathon was held 52 years ago in 1970, with 127 runners lining up to complete a multi-loop course that wound around the Park Drive section of Central Park. Only 55 competitors ended that race, which crowned its first winner: the USA’s Gary Muhrcke who ran home in 2:31:38.

The following year, American Beth Bonner not only became the first female winner of the race but also set a new world record in the process, with a time of 2:55:22.

1976 marked a year of significant change in the New York City Marathon with the introduction of a new course that traversed all five boroughs of the city. It also marked the first time the course began in Staten Island, close to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge which remains an emblematic symbol of today’s marathon as crowds of runners file across the four-kilometre structure.

New York City Marathon records and repeat winners

Beth Bonner’s world record was not the only to be set at the New York City Marathon, however no man has ever set a world record in the race.

In a thrilling three-year stint from 1978 to 1980, Norway’s Grete Waitz set three consecutive world records with times of 2:32:30 (1978), 2:27:33 (1979) and 2:25:42 (1980).

She also won the race a record-breaking nine times between 1978 and 1988, with only Allison Roe of New Zealand (1981) and Britain's Priscilla Welch (1987) breaking her dominance during that 11-year period. Roe thought she had broken the world record in 1981, only to discover the course had been measured short, with Alberto Salazar suffering the same fate in the men's race. 

Salazar’s three victories in the men’s race (1980, 1981, 1982) have only been bettered by his US compatriot Bill Rogers who secured four consecutive victories between 1976 and 1979.

However, eight other men have managed to claim victory in the race on two occasions, including the USA’s Tom Fleming (1973, 1975), Italy’s Orlando Pizzolato (1984, 1985), Mexico’s German Silva (1994, 1995), Kenya’s John Kagwe (1997, 1998), Kenya’s Martin Lel (2003, 2007), Brazil’s Marilson Gomes dos Santos (2006, 2008), Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai (2011, 2013) and Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor (2017, 2019).

On the women’s side, Kenya’s Mary Keitany stormed to victory on four occasions in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018, making her the second-most prolific winner of the race behind Waitz. Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe is next on the list, claiming victory three times with wins in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Five other women have produced two victories in New York, with the first being Nina Kuscsik, who passed the finish line first in 1972 and 1973, followed by the USA's Miki Gorman (1976, 1977), Kenya’s Tegla Loroupe (1994, 1995), Kenya's Margaret Okayo (2001, 2003) and Latvia’s Jeļena Prokopčuka (2005, 2006).

The current owners of the course record are Geoffrey Mutai, who set a time of 2:05:06 in the 2005 men’s race, and Margaret Okayo whose second victory was produced in a time of 2:22:31 in 2003.

List of past winners of the New York City Marathon

Men’s New York City Marathon winners

2021 Albert Korir Kenya 2:08:22

2012 Cancelled

2019 Geoffrey Kamworor Kenya 2:08:13

2018 Lelisa Desisa Ethiopia 2:05:59

2017 Geoffrey Kamworor Kenya 2:10:53

2016 Ghirmay Ghebreslassie Eritrea 2:07:51

2015 Stanley Biwott Kenya 2:10:34

2014 Wilson Kipsang Kenya 2:10:59

2013 Geoffrey Mutai Kenya 2:08:24

2012 Cancelled

2011 Geoffrey Mutai Kenya 2:05:05

2010 Gebregziabher Gebremariam Ethiopia 2:08:14

2009 Meb Keflezighi USA 2:09:15

2008 Marílson Gomes dos Santos Brazil 2:08:43

2007 Martin Lel Kenya 2:09:04

2006 Marílson Gomes dos Santos Brazil 2:09:58

2005 Paul Tergat Kenya 2:09:30

2004 Hendrick Ramaala South Africa 2:09:28

2003 Martin Lel Kenya 2:10:30

2002 Rodgers Rop Kenya 2:08:07

2001 Tesfaye Jifar Ethiopia 2:07:43

2000 Abdelkader El Mouaziz Morocco 2:10:09

1999 Joseph Chebet Kenya 2:09:14

1998 John Kagwe Kenya 2:08:45

1997 John Kagwe Kenya 2:08:12

1996 Giacomo Leone Italy 2:09:54

1995 Germán Silva Mexico 2:11:00

1994 Germán Silva Mexico 2:11:21

1993 Andrés Espinosa Mexico 2:10:04

1992 Willie Mtolo South Africa 2:09:29

1991 Salvador García Mexico 2:09:28

1990 Douglas Wakiihuri Kenya 2:12:39

1989 Juma Ikangaa Tanzania 2:08:01

1988 Steve Jones United Kingdom 2:08:20

1987 Ibrahim Hussein Kenya 2:11:01

1986 Gianni Poli Italy 2:11:06

1985 Orlando Pizzolato Italy 2:11:34

1984 Orlando Pizzolato Italy 2:14:53

1983 Rod Dixon New Zealand 2:08:59

1982 Alberto Salazar United States 2:09:29

1981 Alberto Salazar United States 2:08:13

1980 Alberto Salazar United States 2:09:41

1979 Bill Rodgers United States 2:11:42

1978 Bill Rodgers United States 2:12:12

1977 Bill Rodgers United States 2:11:28

1976 Bill Rodgers United States 2:10:10

1975 Tom Fleming United States 2:19:27

1974 Norbert Sander United States 2:26:30

1973 Tom Fleming United States 2:21:54

1972 Sheldon Karlin United States 2:27:52

1971 Norman Higgins United States 2:22:54

1970 Gary Muhrcke United States 2:31:38

Women's New York City Marathon winners

2021 Peres Jepchirchir Kenya 2:22:39

2012 Cancelled

2019 Joyciline Jepkosgei Kenya 2:22:38

2018 Mary Keitany Kenya 2:22:48

2017 Shalane Flanagan USA 2:26:53

2016 Mary Keitany Kenya 2:24:26

2015 Mary Keitany Kenya 2:24:25

2014 Mary Keitany Kenya 2:25:07

2013 Priscah Jeptoo Kenya 2:25:07

2012 Cancelled

2011 Firehiwot Dado Ethiopia 2:23:15

2010 Edna Kiplagat Kenya 2:28:20

2009 Derartu Tulu Ethiopia 2:28:52

2008 Paula Radcliffe United Kingdom 2:23:56

2007 Paula Radcliffe United Kingdom 2:23:09

2006 Jeļena Prokopčuka Latvia 2:25:05

2005 Jeļena Prokopčuka Latvia 2:24:41

2004 Paula Radcliffe United Kingdom 2:23:10

2003 Margaret Okayo Kenya 2:22:31

2002 Joyce Chepchumba Kenya 2:25:56

2001 Margaret Okayo Kenya 2:24:21

2000 Lyudmila Petrova Russia 2:25:45

1999 Adriana Fernandez Mexico 2:25:06

1998 Franca Fiacconi Italy 2:25:17

1997 Franziska Rochat-Moser Switzerland 2:28:43

1996 Anuţa Cătună Romania 2:28:18

1995 Tegla Loroupe Kenya 2:28:06

1994 Tegla Loroupe Kenya 2:27:37

1993 Uta Pippig Germany 2:26:24

1992 Lisa Ondieki Australia 2:24:40

1991 Liz McColgan United Kingdom 2:27:32

1990 Wanda Panfil Poland 2:30:45

1989 Ingrid Kristiansen Norway 2:25:30

1988 Grete Waitz Norway 2:28:07

1987 Priscilla Welch United Kingdom 2:30:17

1986 Grete Waitz Norway 2:28:06

1985 Grete Waitz Norway 2:28:34

1984 Grete Waitz Norway 2:29:30

1983 Grete Waitz Norway 2:27:00

1982 Grete Waitz Norway 2:27:14

1981 Allison Roe New Zealand 2:25:29

1980 Grete Waitz Norway 2:25:42

1979 Grete Waitz Norway 2:27:33

1978 Grete Waitz Norway 2:32:30

1977 Miki Gorman United States 2:43:10

1976 Miki Gorman United States 2:39:11

1975 Kim Merritt United States 2:46:14

1974 Kathrine Switzer United States 3:07:29

1973 Nina Kuscsik United States 2:57:07

1972 Nina Kuscsik United States 3:08:41

1971 Beth Bonner United States 2:55:22