Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui returns to New York on November 2, 2025, to defend her TCS New York City Marathon title. The 34-year-old athlete enters with strong confidence after her 2024 victory and a solid 2025 season. She faces tough competition from runners like Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri.
Sheila Chepkirui, from Kericho County, trained in the hills and rose from a cross-country champion to one of the world's top marathon runners. Last year, she won the New York Marathon in 2:24:35, followed closely by Hellen Obiri (2:24:49) and Vivian Cheruiyot (2:25:21), reaffirming Kenya's dominance in the event.
Her 2025 season started strongly with a win at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in March, finishing in 2:20:40. Chepkirui holds the third-fastest entry time of 2:17:29 among the 54 women competing. She credits the Nagoya victory for boosting her confidence: “Kushinda Nagoya kulinipa imani. Kulinikumbusha kwamba kila kitu kinawezekana ukijiandaa vizuri.” (Winning Nagoya gave me confidence. It reminded me that everything is possible with proper preparation.)
Her challengers are formidable. Sharon Lokedi, the 2022 winner who placed ninth last year, enters with a 2:17:22 personal best from the Boston Marathon. Hellen Obiri, the 2023 champion and runner-up in 2024, returns seeking the title. Other contenders include Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands (2:13:44), Ethiopia's Gotytom Gebreslase (2:18:11), and Americans Emily Sisson (2:18:23).
Edna Kiplagat, the 2010 winner, has withdrawn from the race. In an interview, Chepkirui said: “Orosha ya washiriki ni kali sana, lakini nitakimbia mbio zangu mwenyewe. Barabara za mashindano ni ngumu, na kila mtu amejitayarisha vizuri. Si rahisi kubaki kileleni, lakini nataka kurudi kwenye jukwaa la washindi, ikiwezekana kama mshindi tena.” (The field is very tough, but I will run my own race. The course is challenging, and everyone is well-prepared. It's not easy to stay at the top, but I want to return to the podium, possibly as the winner again.) She knows the hilly course and unpredictable weather demand both endurance and speed.