Since finishing sixth at the New York City Marathon last November, Sifan Hassan has yet to race. The Dutch Olympic champion had hoped to return to competition at the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2026, after a year that saw her withdraw from the London Marathon because of an Achilles injury. However, just over two weeks before the race, Hassan announced her withdrawal due to illness.

On October 14, Hassan shared the news on Instagram, expressing her disappointment at missing the race she had been looking forward to. The Paris 2024 Olympic marathon champion wrote: “Not this time, @nycmarathon… 💔 I was so excited to come back stronger, but a sickness slowed down my training and I’m not where I wanted to be. Sometimes, things just don’t go as planned. Wishing everyone an amazing race in NYC! 🫂💞”

Hassan has not disclosed the nature of her illness. Her withdrawal comes after an eventful 2025 season in which she competed in three major marathons, recording a podium finish in London, winning in Sydney and ending the year with a sixth-place finish in New York.

Hassan began her 2025 marathon campaign at the London Marathon on April 27, finishing third in 2:19:00 behind Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa. Hassan followed that performance with a victory at the Sydney Marathon on August 31, clocking 2:18:22 to set a course record. She beat Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, who finished second in 2:18:56, to claim the title in Sydney’s first year as a World Marathon Major.

Her final race of 2025 came at the New York City Marathon on November 2, where she finished sixth in 2:24:43. It was Hassan’s first appearance in the race, and she ended the season having competed in three major marathons in just over six months. After that demanding schedule, she planned to take a quieter approach to racing in 2026. However, an Achilles injury sustained during a treadmill training session in February disrupted her plans.

Initially Hassan hoped the injury would settle and allow her to compete, but she struggled to progress as her training intensified. On March 23, she confirmed her withdrawal from London, explaining that she could not prepare at the level she expected of herself and needed to focus on recovery. Hassan subsequently targeted the New York City Marathon as her next opportunity to return to competition, but now illness interrupted her preparations.

The withdrawal is another setback for the 33-year-old Hassan, who won gold in the women’s marathon and bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Despite missing both the London and New York marathons in 2026, Hassan has not announced her retirement or confirmed when she will race next. For now, she will focus on recovering from her illness and returning to training when she feels ready to compete again.

Although Sifan Hassan’s withdrawal is a disappointment, the women’s elite field for the 2026 New York City Marathon still remains strong.

Hellen Obiri leads strong women’s field as Fiona O’Keeffe also withdraws

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the defending champion and course record holder, will return to New York hoping to claim a third title. Obiri won the 2025 race in 2:19:51, breaking the course record that had stood for 22 years.  American runner Jess McClain is also among the names to watch. She had held the fastest marathon time by an American woman during the current Olympic cycle until Emma Grace Hurley ran 2:20:47 on October 11, 2026. 

The field also features 2024 New York City Marathon champion Sheila Chepkirui, who returns after finishing third last year, and Uruguay’s Julia Paternain, who won bronze in the marathon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. American distance runner Weini Kelati is also set to make her marathon debut, adding further interest to the women’s race. However, the women’s field has also suffered another notable withdrawal.

American marathoner Fiona O’Keeffe also ruled out of this year’s race following surgery on her left hamstring. O’Keeffe underwent proximal hamstring repair surgery at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, last week after an MRI in late September revealed that a previous partial tear had developed into a fully retracted tendon tear.

With both Hassan and O’Keeffe absent, attention will turn to Obiri and the other leading contenders as they prepare to compete for the women’s title in New York.