Not bad for a debut! Almgren, a former risk analyst and amateur soccer and track star who dedicated himself full time to distance running in 2025, had never run a marathon before Sunday. You read that right — it was his first marathon ever. He is the first European-born winner of the NYC race in 30 years. Last year he became the first non-African-born runner to crack the 59-minute mark in a half marathon, accomplishing the feat at Valencia. A few days later he flew to New York to watch the 2025 NYC Marathon and decided he’d give 26.2 miles a shot.
Hard Numbers
First time for everything
Will Fitzpatrick
By Alex KlimentNovember 02, 2026
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
