Andreas Almgren, the 31-year-old Swede, will make his marathon debut in the 2026 NYC Marathon. Almgren, who won the European 10,000m title and the world half-marathon title, has never raced a full marathon before. His debut comes with a world title, a feat unmatched by other first-time marathon runners.

Almgren, who transitioned from soccer to running, has a history of injuries but has steadily improved his times. His training includes double threshold sessions and he plans his training with coach Urban Aruhn. Almgren aims for a fast finish in NYC, targeting a time similar to the slower recent winners. Read more culture coverage.

Despite his marathon debut, Almgren's focus remains on the 10,000m at the 2028 Olympics. He has not ruled out adding the marathon to his Olympic schedule. The NYC Marathon starts at 9:05 a.m. ET on Nov. 1. Related: Andreas Almgren's Predicted Marathon Debut in New York.

This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Marathon Handbook. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.