World’s original women-only road race to feature defending Mastercard New York Mini 10K, United Airlines NYC Half, and TCS New York City Marathon champion Hellen Obiri; former TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi; and world record holder Agnes Ngetich
American contingent includes national record holders Emma Grace Hurley, and Weini Kelati, plus Jess McClain
Professional wheelchair division headlined by Paralympic medalist and 2025
Mastercard New York Mini 10K runner-up Tatyana McFadden
700 youth to participate in 10th annual Girls Run, one of 20+ annual Rising New York Road Runners youth events encouraging kids to get physically active
Race broadcast features all-women commentary team on WABC-TV, ESPN+, abc7ny.com, and New York Road Runners’ YouTube channel
New York, May 27, 2026 – New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” New York City producing 60 annual adult and youth races including the TCS New York City Marathon and providing free year-round youth and community programs, has announced an impressive professional athlete field for the 2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K, taking place Saturday, June 6. The race will feature 10 Olympians and Paralympians, 9 global medalists, and multiple national record holders representing 10countries.
As a leader in women’s sports, New York Road Runners will bring together women of all ages and fitness levels for the 54th running of the world’s original women-only road race, part of the nonprofit’s year-round commitment to uplifting athletes and fostering a community that believes in the power of every step to transform lives. The race will be headlined again this year by Kenyans Hellen Obiri—defending champion across the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, and Mastercard New York Mini 10K, marking a first for the open division—and Sharon Lokedi—2022 TCS New York City Marathon winner and 2025 runner-up, two-time Boston Marathon champion and course record holder, and 2024 Mastercard New York Mini 10K runner-up.
“I am looking forward to returning to Central Park after setting a course record at the TCS New York City Marathon and winning the Mastercard New York Mini 10K last year,” Obiri said. “I am excited to take on this challenge among a competitive group of women athletes and the 10,000 women who will be inspiring and motivating each other on the course.”
Lokedi and Obiri will be joined by their compatriot Agnes Ngetich, who holds the world 10K record and became the first woman to break 29 minutes in 2024. Ngetich will run her first Mastercard New York Mini 10K after winning the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in January and making her New York Road Runners debut in March at the United Airlines NYC Half. Kenyan Olympian Viola Cheptoo, runner-up at the TCS New York City Marathon and Mastercard New York Mini 10K in 2021, will return for her fourth Mastercard New York Mini 10K. She recently placed sixth at the 2026 Tokyo Marathon and fourth at the 2025 Berlin Marathon. Slovenian athlete Klara Lukan will make her New York Road Runners debut, shortly after breaking the European road 10K record in 29:51 and becoming the first European woman to run sub-30. Rounding out the stellar international field are 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships silver medalist Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia, and two-time European Cross Country Championships gold medalist Fionnuala McCormack of Ireland.
The American contingent will be led by Weini Kelati, who ran the fastest-ever 10K by an American woman and finished second at the 2025 Mastercard Mini 10K. Kelati once again broke her own American half marathon record earlier this year, running 1:06:04. She will line up against Jess McClain, who is coming off her record-breaking performance at the 2026 Boston Marathon, where she finished as the top American woman and broke the American women’s course record; and Emma GraceHurley, the American women’s 8K record holder and two-time national champion in the 10 mile and 25K. Additional American star power includes teammates Annie Frisbie, the second American woman at both the 2026 Boston Marathon and the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, and 2024 Paris Olympian Dakotah Popehn. Three-time Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K champion Annie Rodenfels will make her Mastercard New York Mini 10K debut, as will two-time U.S. champion Ednah Kurgat. U.S. champions Amanda Vestri and Rachel Smith will both return to the race for the third time.
Returning to headline the professional wheelchair division is Tatyana McFadden—the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic and Paralympic history and a five-time TCS New York City Marathon champion, who recently broke her own 400 meter world record in Arbon. She will be joined by U.S. Paralympian Hannah Dederick, who finished third at the 2025 Mastercard New York Mini 10K. The race will have a new wheelchair division champion this year, as six-time champion Susannah Scaroni will not be lining up for the first time since the division was introduced in 2018. Scaroni is expecting her first child later this summer.
“I’m thrilled to return to the Mastercard New York Mini 10K and see if I can win my first Mini title,” McFadden said. “I love the energy of a women’s only race, especially one with so much history.”
Race History
New York Road Runners started the New York Mini 10K in 1972 as the first women-only road race, then named the Crazylegs Mini Marathon after the miniskirt, a symbol of women’s liberation. Seventy-two women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes. Since the first edition, the race has attracted more than 250,000 total finishers, with more than 10,500 runners expected this year.
“Crazylegs” is now the distinction given fondly to participants who have run the New York Mini 10K at least 15 times. This year’s race has more than 70 Crazylegs registered to participate, and 15 additional runners are expected to reach Crazylegs status after completing this race.
Notable and Inspiring Runners
In addition to the professional athlete field, the 2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K will feature several notable runners with inspirational stories, including:
- Patina Miller: Tony-Award-winning Broadway star who will be performing her final show of her residency at Café Carlyle the evening of the race. Patina’s daughter will be joining her on race day to participate in the Girls Run.
- Jennafer Newberry Peery: Actress currently in Broadway’s “Wicked”as Glinda’s standby and running her second-ever New York Road Runners race after the 2025 Broadway Mile.
- Cathleen London (Teaneck, N.J.): A triathlete, marathon runner, doctor, and lawyer returning to run the Mastercard New York Mini 10K after having a brain tumor removed last April. Six months after her own surgery, her son was also diagnosed with a brain tumor after an ER visit—a devastating coincidence that inspired her to use running to raise funds for brain tumor research.
- Denise Peralta (Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y.): An alumna of NYRR Run for the Future, a free six-week program introducing young women in high school to running, who returned to the sport last year after a decade away. Her first race back was the 2025 Mastercard New York Mini 10K, making this year’s race a meaningful milestone in her running journey as part of the Run for the Future community. This summer, she’ll give back to the program as a Race Buddy for this year’s session.
- Shira Stein (Morningside Heights, New York, N.Y.): A breast cancer survivor who turned to running as a way to take care of her health, feel more confident in her body after a double mastectomy, and set an example of strength and resilience for her 12-year-old daughter.
- Danielle Todman (Scotch Plains, N.J.): A track & field and cross country coach, Air Force veteran, and domestic violence survivor who has found strength and community through women’s running and now hopes to use her experience to create a safe space for her student athletes.
- Chantal Watler (Philadelphia, Pa.): A “Crazyleg” who has been running the Mini 10K nearly every year since 1999, when her mother first inspired her to start running. The two always ran the race together—even through her mother’s chemotherapy treatments—until her passing in 2015. Chantal now runs every race in her mom’s memory, wearing a photo of her on her bib.
Run for the Future
Celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026, New York Road Runners’ Run for the Future is a free six-week program that introduces young women in high school to running, focusing on fitness, nutrition, mental health, and body image, and culminating in participants running their first 5K. The experience kicks off many young women’s running journeys and creates connections that last beyond the program. As a testament to the program’s impact, more than 40 Run for the Future alumnae will participate in the 2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K.
Girls Run
In addition to the adult 10K, 700 girls ages 8 to 18 will participate in free races as part of the Girls Run, one of more than 20 free Rising New York Road Runners youth events the nonprofit hosts during the year. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Girls Run, first held in 2016. The youth event will take place at the start of the adult race on Central Park West, with girls running alongside the women-only professional athletes and adult participants for a fun and rewarding experience that encourages them to be physically active and builds their confidence to cross any finish line. Participants will include members of Rising New York Road Runners, a free running-based youth program that serves more than 200,000 students nationwide, with 100,000 students in New York City.
Race-Week Panel
On Thursday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m. ET, New York Road Runners will host a race-week panel and networking event titled, “Believe in Every Step: Championing Women Athletes Across Generations” at Volvo Cars Manhattan. The event will bring together the women’s running community for an evening of inspiration and connection, featuring trailblazers and legends of the sport Kathrine Switzer and Lynn Blackstone, 2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K pro athlete and Tirop’s Angels founder Viola Cheptoo, Run for the Future alumna Safiatu Diagana, and New York Road Runners leadership.
RSVP is required to attend. Please visit the Eventbrite page for more information and to RSVP.
How to Watch
The 2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K will be covered by an all-women broadcast team featuring WABC Sports Anchor Sam Ryan, U.S. Olympians Carrie Tollefson and Alysia Montaño, and host of the “Ali on the Run Show” podcast Ali Feller. The professional fields will be covered by a livestream, distributed domestically by ESPN+ and abc7ny.com, and internationally from NYRR’s YouTube channel beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET. Additional coverage will be available in the tristate area on ABC New York, Channel 7, with live news cut-ins from 6–10 a.m.
NYRR App
Participants, spectators, and supporters can access runner tracking, leaderboards, race-day information, and course maps through the NYRR App Developed by Tata Consultancy Services. Within the year-round app, fans can watch live feeds of the professional divisions without interruption. The NYRR App is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K Professional Open Division
| Name | Country | Residence | Personal Best 10K |
| Agnes Ngetich | KEN | Iten, KEN | 28:46 WR (Valencia, 2024) |
| Klara Lukan | SLO | Lublanja, SLO | 29:51 NR (Laredo, 2026) |
| Hellen Obiri | KEN | Boulder, Colo. | 30:15 (Manchester, 2022) |
| Tsigie Gebreselama | ETH | Boulder, Colo. | 30:29 (Paderborn, 2023) |
| Weini Kelati | USA | Flagstaff, Ariz. | 30:49 (Mini, 2025) |
| Sharon Lokedi | KEN | Flagstaff, Ariz. | 30:52 (Mini, 2022) |
| Viola Cheptoo | KEN | Iten, KEN | 30:55 (Phoenix, 2019) |
| Emma Grace Hurley | USA | Indianapolis | 31:00 (Tokyo, 2025) |
| Jessica McClain | USA | Scottsdale, Ariz. | 31:13 (Mesa, Ariz., 2026) |
| Amanda Vestri | USA | Boone, N.C. | 31:17 (Mini, 2024) |
| Annie Frisbie | USA | Hopkins, Minn. | 31:37 (Charleston, S.C., 2026) |
| Annie Rodenfels | USA | Boulder, Colo. | 31:54 (Boston, 2024) |
| Ednah Kurgat | USA | Colorado Springs, Colo. | 31:56 (Miramar, Fla., 2025) |
| Dakotah Popehn | USA | Burnsville, Minn. | 31:58 (Mini, 2024) |
| Fionnuala McCormack | IRL | Dublin, IRL | 32:08 (Meath, IRL, 2022) |
| Emily Venters | USA | Salt Lake City | 32:11 (Boston, 2024) |
| Stephanie Bruce | USA | Flagstaff, Ariz. | 32:21 (Atlanta, 2018) |
| Tess Barrett | USA | Arlington, Va. | 32:27+ (Philadelphia, 2026) |
| Rachel Smith | USA | Flagstaff, Ariz. | 32:35 (Cape Elizabeth, Maine, 2024) |
| Mercy Chelangat | KEN | Flagstaff, Ariz. | 32:37 (Boston, 2024) |
| WuGa He | CHN | Chengdu, CHN | 33:06 (Mini, 2022) |
| Elena Hayday | USA | Minneapolis | 33:30 (Boston, 2024) |
| Sophia King | USA | Chesterfield, Va. | 33:50 (Northport, N.Y., 2023) |
| Lisa Hart | GBR | Winter Garden, Fla. | 34:05 (Winter Park, Fla., 2026) |
| Gabi Rooker | USA | Minneapolis | 34:11 (Charleston, S.C., 2026) |
| Madison Offstein | USA | New York | 34:24 (Atlanta, 2021) |
| Brooke Starn | USA | New York | 35:14 (New York City, 2024) |
| Alexandra Conway | USA | New York | 35:28 (New York City, 2025) |
| Alana Levy | USA | New York | 35:50+ (New York City, 2025) |
| Alosha Southern | USA | Brooklyn, N.Y. | 35:52 (Mini, 2024) |
| Annabel Stafford | USA | North Grafton, Mass. | 36:02 (Boston, 2025) |
| Stephanie Diacovo | USA | New York | 36:19+ (Brooklyn, N.Y. 2026) |
| Anastasia Dmitrienko | USA | New York | 36:20+ (Brooklyn, N.Y., 2026) |
| Jennifer DiMascio-Donohue | USA | Long Island City, N.Y. | 36:42 (Flushing, N.Y., 2025) |
| Katarina Mayer | CAN | New York | 36:51 (Flushing, N.Y., 2025) |
| Katarina Birimac | AUS | Bronx, N.Y. | Debut |
| Cailie Hughes | USA | Bloomington, Minn. | Debut |
| Amisa Murayama | JPN | Sendai, JPN | Debut |
| Nazuki Sasaki | JPN | Sendai, JPN | Debut |
| Sydney Vaught | USA | Fayetteville, Ark. | Debut |
WR = World Record
NR = National Record
+ signifies en route performance
2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K Professional Wheelchair Division
| Name | Country | Residence | Personal Best 10K |
| Tatyana McFadden | USA | Baltimore | 23:14 (Atlanta, 2016) |
| Hannah Dederick | USA | Champaign, Ill. | 24:29 (Mini, 2025) |
| Linden Williamson | USA | Boerne, Texas | 25:11 (Mini, 2025) |
| Michelle Wheeler | USA | Dallas | 26:04 (Mini, 2023) |
| Hoda Elshorbagy | EGY | Champaign, Ill. | 26:09 (Mini, 2025) |
| Milena Sobie | USA | Streetsboro, Ohio | 30:17 (Cedartown, Ga., 2025) |
| Rachel Cleaver | USA | Beloit, Texas | 34:44 (Atlanta, 2025) |
| April Coughlin | USA | New York | 35:37 (Mini, 2025) |
The 2026 Mastercard New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money. Mastercard will serve as title sponsor of the event for the sixth year, and, as part of its ongoing partnership with New York Road Runners, will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.
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About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
A New York City-based nonprofit, New York Road Runners’ vision is to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running – serving more than half a million people annually through its races, free community events, youth running initiatives, and school-based programs across the five boroughs. During its nearly 70 years, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, producing more than 60 adult and youth races each year, including the TCS New York City Marathon. Held the first Sunday each November, the TCS New York City Marathon features more than 55,000 runners—from the world’s best professional athletes to a vast range of runners across experience levels, ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.