Benson Kipruto on Defending His NYC Marathon Title

Benson Kipruto is back as defending champion at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, a year after beating Alexander Mutiso Munyao in a sprint all the way to the line. At the pre-race athlete availability, Jessy Carveth asked him whether Mutiso’s absence changes anything, and what he makes of debutant Andreas Almgren’s plan to sit in and kick at the end. Kipruto, now in his 10th year of marathon running, is unfazed: “I will race on my own.”

Then it’s the lightning round: choosing between the adidas Adios Pro 5 and Adizero Evo 3, Maurten fueling every 5K, his mantra for the pain cave, why Eliud Kipchoge is his mentor, toenail count, trash talk, who worries him at mile 25 (nobody), his Kalshi odds, and more.

Can Kipruto go back-to-back in New York? Let us know in the comments 👇

⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Defending champion: racing without Alexander Mutiso Munyao
0:32 Andreas Almgren’s “sit and kick” plan
1:16 Lightning round: Adios Pro 5 or Evo 3?
1:28 Marathon fueling: Maurten every 5K
2:00 Bicarb? No.
2:11 His mantra in the pain cave: “Come on, come on”
2:47 Why Eliud Kipchoge is his mentor
3:13 Harry Styles (who?)
3:22 How many healthy toenails?
3:35 Trash talk mid-race
3:51 Who he doesn’t want next to him at mile 25
4:24 Finishing time prediction
4:34 Kalshi gives him 45% to win (and Almgren 30%)
5:01 How much would he bet on himself?
5:14 Good luck on Sunday