South African Claims Victory at New York City Half Marathon
Adriaan Wildschutt surged to victory in 59:30.
South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt produced a superb performance to win the 2026 New York City Half Marathon on Sunday, announcing himself as a major force on the international road racing circuit.
The win marks one of the biggest victories of the South African distance runner’s career…
Wildschutt surged to victory in 59:30, pulling away late in the race to finish 11 seconds ahead of American Zouhir Talbi, who took second place. The race attracted a deep elite field and more than 30 000 runners on the popular 13.1-mile park-to-park course through New York City.
The win marks one of the biggest victories of the South African distance runner’s career and continues his impressive transition from track to road racing. Known for his strength over 5000m and 10 000m on the track, Wildschutt showed his range with a controlled and confident performance over the half marathon distance.
The race also featured Olympic track medalist Grant Fisher, who finished 14th in 1:00:53 in his half marathon debut. In the women’s race, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri delivered another standout performance, setting a course record of 1:06:33.
For South African running fans, Wildschutt’s victory is particularly significant. Winning a major international half marathon in sub-60 minutes places him among the elite road racers in the world and adds another milestone to a career that continues to gather momentum on the global stage.
Pro Men’s Top 10 Results
- Adriaan Wildschutt, 59:30
- Zouhair Talbi, 59:41
- Gulveer Singh, 59:42
- Alex Maier, 59:51
- Peter Lynch, 59:52
- Patrick Dever, 59:56
- Rory Linkletter, 1:00:00
- Patrick Kiprop, 1:00:01
- Joe Klecker, 1:00:02
- Shunsuke Kuwata, 1:00:13
Pro Women’s Top 10 Results
- Hellen Obiri, 1:06:33
- Sharon Lokedi, 1:07:10
- Megan Keith, 1:07:13
- Diane Van Es, 1:08:21
- Fentaye Belayneh, 1:08:22
- Emily Sisson, 1:09:06
- Amanda Vestri, 1:09:22
- Annie Frisbie, 1:09:25
- Susanna Sullivan, 1:09:38
- Emily Venters, 1:09:46
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