This is better than anything I could ever dream of. This marathon thing is really fun, he says in the winner's interview.
After winning the European Championship gold medal in the 10,000 meters in August and the World Championship gold medal in the half marathon in September as the first non-African runner in 30 years, Andreas Almgren broke a new barrier on Sunday.
The Swede won the New York Marathon in his marathon debut. He also became the first European-born runner to win the classic race in New York since 1996.
I've probably never felt so emotional after a race, says the 31-year-old.
His time of 2:06:01 is the fourth-fastest winning time of all time, according to HBO Max's broadcast.
Kept his cool
Almgren kept his cool throughout. The race went through New York's five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at 3 p.m. Swedish time. The hilly course then went through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, finishing in Central Park.
When the runners entered the famous park in Manhattan, four remained in the pack, including Almgren. Last year's winner, Kenya's Benson Kipruto, was another.
When Benso started to pick up the pace with five kilometers to go, I felt that I had the legs for the day.
In the end, only Almgren and Yemaneberhan Crippa remained in the close battle. With a couple of kilometers to go, the Swede left the Italian behind and was able to cruise to the finish line.
When I saw that I had a fairly large gap, I felt: "Okay Andreas, enjoy the last hundred meters now, because this is something that not many people get to experience," says Almgren.
Almgren's career is like a fairy tale, with the final chapters looking set to have a happy ending.
The Sollentuna native emerged as a promising 800-meter runner and won bronze in the distance at the World Junior Championships twelve years ago.
After that, injuries and illnesses dominated for several years. A stress reaction in his tibia, for example, dashed his hopes of competing at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
But in 2025 and 2026, he has been able to stay healthy and reap the rewards. It started with bronze in the 10,000 meters at last year's World Championships, before his golden 2026.
A year that has included European Championship gold, World Championship gold and now a victory in New York, in one of the most classic marathons.
Ready for the Olympics
On Sunday, November 1, the qualifying period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics also began, and the top five finishers in New York qualified for the marathon at the Olympic Games.
Almgren has previously spoken about running both the 10,000 meters and the marathon in the US in just under two years.
The 10,000 is on the first day and the marathon on the last day. It could work, the Swede told TT before winning his marathon debut.
What do you think?