NYRR Media Center

Agnes Ngetich returns to the streets of New York City just months after her New York Road Runners debut at the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half where she finished 13th.

Ngetich is the women’s world record holder in the road 10K, running 28:46 in Valencia in 2024 to become the first woman to break 29 minutes. She also holds the third best time in history, crossing the finish in 28:58 at this year’s Urban Trail de Lille 10K. 

In January, she had a dominant victory at the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, where she became the 10th consecutive Kenyan woman to win the individual title. Her 1:03:04 half-marathon personal best is the Kenyan record and second-fastest performance in history. 

After her father died when she was 10, Ngetich, the second child in a family of eight children, started working on a local farm, carrying bags of charcoal to earn money. At age 14, she moved out to join a junior athletics camp, where she trained and studied, sometimes running barefoot and with an empty stomach. She enjoys singing gospel songs and occasionally posts videos of her singing on TikTok.