Almgren wins New York on Debut

Welcome to The Running Log by 42cal

Thank you for signing up to our newsletter. 42cal is your trusted source for running all over the world. In this newsletter, we'll highlight interesting things happening in the world of running and racing in 5 minutes or less.

Once or twice a month, we'll share five or six relevant things. Tune in for:

• registrations opening and closing
• noteworthy news from the running world
• races and places to run worth a closer look

I'll also occasionally share my gear recommendations and running tips from my own running journey or from subscribers.

Every newsletter will start with a 20-second digest to see if anything catches your eye. Hit reply and tell me what you would like more of.

— Esteban

Andreas Almgren and Sheila Chepkirui rule New York

This Sunday, November 1st, marked 50 years of the five-borough New York City Marathon. It was also the first time in 15 years that the course changed, with minor changes to the Bronx section. The 2026 edition had 61,147 finishers, setting a new record for the event.

At the elite level, this was a very exciting race. Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won her second race in 3 years, but she was closely followed (6 seconds back) by Jess McClain, who finished in second with a 2:24:42. McClain is the first American woman on the podium since Shalane Flanagan in 2018. Hellen Obiri, the defending champion finished third.

On the mens side, Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the race in his marathon debut. He finished in 2:06:01, making his move with a mile to go, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy. Kamohelo Mofolo of Lesotho was third on his 21st birthday. Defending champion Benson Kipruto finished fourth. The future of the sport looks bright.

Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair race in 1:28:14, one second ahead of Daniel Romanchuk. It is his eighth New York title, a record. Catherine Debrunner won the women's race in 1:40:02, about eight and a half minutes ahead of Tatyana McFadden. No course records were broken this time in any category.

Running New York in 2027

While the 2027 edition drawing hasn't been announced, applications for this race usually open in February, and the drawing is held in March. The drawing for this year's race had a record 240,000+ applications. Only about 1% were accepted.

There are other ways to get in.

You can do so with an age-group-specific qualifying time. If you're a woman aged 18-34, you need a time of 3 hours and 13 minutes to be able to apply. This year, New York Road Runners accepted only the fastest 10% of qualifiers, meaning that, in reality, you had to beat this standard by nearly 23 minutes.

You can get in through a charity: fundraise a set amount, such as $3,000 for Team for Kids, and you're in. A similar path for international runners is buying a place through an official tour operator, which usually includes a costly hotel stay but may be worth it if you're going to pay for a hotel anyway.

If you're a New Yorker, the 9+1 program by NYRR is your best bet. You need to finish nine races hosted by the organization and volunteer at one. However, starting next year, you'll have to win an additional drawing to join the program, though in all likelihood with better odds.

Sources: NYRR results release, Marathon Handbook (unofficial times), NYRR 2026 media guide, time qualifiers, drawing release, 9+1 update.

Coming up: Leipzig's €70 price ends Nov 22. Tel Aviv's early price ends Nov 30. Honolulu (Dec 13) stays at $255 online until Dec 3, then costs $460 at the expo.

Berlin Marathon 2027 · lottery closes Nov 12

The lottery for Berlin on September 26, 2027 is open until November 12. Entry is €215, but you'll only be charged if you're selected. Expect results emailed on December 3.

Our course data puts Berlin's total climb at 73 m, less than a third of New York's 246 m. It's a good course if speed is what you're after. The marathon world record has been broken here 13 times.

Moderate fall weather, flat European streets, and plenty of landmarks to see. Celebrate your race finish with a glass of cold German beer.

Lottery, price and time limit: generali-berlin-marathon.com. Finishers and records: Wikipedia. Climb: 42cal race data.

Central Park, New York

Central Park has been closed to vehicles since June 2018. It has a full loop that is 6.1 miles (9.8 km) of paved roads and plenty of runners to keep you inspired and on your toes.

The steepest climb is Harlem Hill at the north end, 0.3 miles at an average grade of 4.5%. The marathon route enters the park at East 90th Street and finishes beside Tavern on the Green. The first New York City Marathon, in 1970, was four laps of the park, and 55 of its 127 starters finished. How times change.

If you're looking for something more scenic and a softer running surface, try the crushed-gravel Reservoir track between 86th and 96th Streets. As a note of advice, this loop runs one way, counterclockwise. You can also take the bridle path, which circles the same body of water and adds a little more distance.

Sources: Central Park Conservancy, centralpark.com (shorter loops), Climbfinder, Smart Cities Dive.

ASICS Megablast · $225

Nowadays, everybody seems to spend an exorbitant amount on running gear. While they look cool and sometimes make me jealous, all those vests, T-shirts with holes, and alien-like sunglasses don't seem to serve any special purpose.

Meanwhile, running shoes continue to get more expensive every year. Yet, I'd like to counter that a good pair of running shoes is the one worthwhile investment for any runner considering we take upwards of 160 steps per minute. And we should probably be replacing our pairs more often, I know I do.

I've run in 11 different shoes since June 22. The ASICS Megablast (not sponsored) is the one I reach for most on long runs, most of these at altitude. The shoe has a 45 mm heel and an 8 mm drop, with ASICS's top FF Turbo² foam in a trainer.

My highlights

• Sometimes you need firmness and sometimes softness. This shoe blends the two, letting me go fast when I need to and feel protected on a recovery run.
• If I had to pick one do-it-all shoe, I'd be hard pressed to choose another. The ASICS Superblast 3 may be up to the challenge, but it lacks the snappiness I need to feel fast.
• I also want to feel cool sometimes, and the black and white on this shoe looks very sleek and goes with most of my running outfits.

Doctors of Running called it the "most fun shoe of the year". RunRepeat's main complaint is the price: it's expensive for a training shoe. Let that not be an obstacle: you can sometimes find the shoe on sale (I got mine for around $170 on ASICS.com). The V2 is also rumored to release soon, meaning you'll be able to get this top-tier shoe for the price of a mid-tier one.

Mileage: my Strava. Specs and reviews: Doctors of Running, RunRepeat.

Take the first two weeks after a marathon easy (even if it costs you everything)

A marathon deeply damages your muscle fibers, but don't worry. In the long term, it makes your muscles and bones stronger and more resilient. The mistake a lot of us make, however, is that as soon as we stop feeling that soreness, we think we're back to normal, but in reality, repair takes longer.

In a study of 40 marathon runners whose calf muscles were biopsied after the race, the damage took 3 to 4 weeks to repair, and the muscle was still rebuilding 8 to 12 weeks later.

Simply put, if you run hard in the first week after your marathon, your recovery will slow down. In a small 1984 study, runners who ran 40 to 45 minutes a day in the week after a marathon got their leg strength back more slowly than runners who rested. A week after the race, muscle glycogen was still well below its pre-race level in both groups.

Do what you will with this information, but perhaps allow the first week to be for walking, sleep and food, with an easy jog only if the legs ask for it. Short easy runs can come back in the second week, while hard sessions and plans for the next marathon can wait until the legs feel normal again. The old rule of one easy day per race mile, about 26 days, has never been tested, but it lands in the same three-to-four-week window.

Sources: Warhol et al., "Skeletal muscle injury and repair in marathon runners after competition", American Journal of Pathology, 1985. Sherman et al., Journal of Applied Physiology, 1983 and 1984.