By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
NEW YORK (13-Sep) — With one mighty push from the halfway point, Scotswoman Jemma Reekie scorched to a course record 4:13.9 at today’s 45th New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile, America’s largest and most famous road mile. The 28 year-old two-time Olympian, who also won the race in 2021 and 2023, followed a mid-race move by Kenya’s Susan Ejore-Sanders (who picked-up the $1000 halfway leader’s prime) and never took her foot off the gas until she was through the finish line at East 60th Street. Remarkably, it was the ninth time over the past eight editions of the race that a Scottish athlete –male or female– had claimed victory.
“I just really trusted my body, listening to my body,” Reekie told reporters after the race. She continued: “My body felt really good today and I wanted to push it on and run the best of my ability. If it worked, it worked. If somebody came past me, they did. I executed it and came away with the win. I had no idea where anyone was; I was just running to the light.”
The Fifth Avenue course is downhill by about nine meters (30 feet), and the first sector features a sharp downhill. Despite the wet roadway from heavy rain prior to the start, the women went out in about 58 seconds for the first quarter setting-up everyone for fast times. That was perfect for Reekie.
“I do really well off of a hard-run race,” Reekie explained. “I knew that one of those girls would run it hard today, and I’m actually happy to run out hard. I had no idea what time; I was just so focused on listening to my body.”
In the chase for the remaining podium positions, it was 2025 USATF 5-K road running champion Josette Andrews who came closest to Reekie. Andrews, 30, who had not raced in a year due to a series of injuries which began with a hamstring tear, went with the hard early pace and was able to maintain her speed in the second half, despite only doing hard workouts for the last six weeks. She posted a time of 4:16.1 which would have been good enough to win in 41 previous editions of the race.
“This feels amazing,” said the smiling Andrews. She continued: “This is actually my first race in an entire year so there were a lot of nerves going into it because I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew I really didn’t have a kick today so I just wanted to progress and stay strong. I really worked hard that second half. I was just gaining confidence as I was passing people.”
Rachel McArthur, the 2024 USATF road mile champion, took third in 4:17.7.
LANGON WINS MEN’S RACE IN FIFTH AVENUE DEBUT
Marco Langon, who grew up 37 miles from here in Raritan, N.J., got a dramatic victory in the men’s race in his first-ever Fifth Avenue appearance. Langon, 22, was unfazed by an early solo break by Kenya’s Simon Koech (he won the halfway prime but only finished 17th). Instead, he focused on Welshman Jake Heyward who rolled-up Koech in the third quarter and moved into the lead. Langon responded to Heyward’s move, took the lead, and would not be caught. The former Villanova Wildcat clocked an excellent 3:45.0, only seventh tenths of a second off of Josh Kerr’s 2024 course record of 3:44.3.
“Once I knew I was going to get the front position, I had a good feeling I knew I was going to win,” Langon said. “I came into this race prepared. I won last week in Düsseldorf (at the Kö Mile where he ran 3:52.83 on a record-eligible course), and I won a bunch of 1500’s over the summer. So, I knew I was ready to win this.”
It was the second year in a row that an American won in the men’s division (2024 Olympic bronze medalist Yared Nuguse won last year), but only the third time in the last ten editions. British men have won five of the last ten editions.
Behind Langon, Heyward and Australia’s Adam Spencer battled for second. The pair crossed the line together, but the timer’s photo showed that Heyward was second and Spencer third. Both men were given the same time of 3:45.8.
“I honestly didn’t feel great,” admitted Heyward, who wore the same red Welsh national kit he wore in the Commonwealth Games last July where he finished fourth in the mile. “Obviously, it’s been a long season and I got on a flight straight after Brussels (last Sunday) to try to get over the jet lag. Maybe I felt like I was a little out of whack.”
Spencer, the bronze medalist in the 1500m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships last March, was very pleased with his race. It was his first time running on Fifth Avenue and he said he might adjust his tactics in the future now that he’s run the course.
“I probably left it too late,” the former University of Wisconsin Badger told Race Results Weekly. He continued: “It was a good race. I hope I do it again because it was good fun.”
Both Langon and Reekie won $5000 in prize money, and a total of about 8200 athletes completed the race across all divisions, down slightly from last year.
PHOTO: Jemma Reekie of Scotland winning the 2026 New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile in a course record 4:13.8 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Marco Langon of the United States winning the 2026 New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile in 3:45.0 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: 2026 New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile Champions Jemma Reekie of Scotland and Great Britain and Marco Langon of the United States (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
ENDS
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