Crippa sets his sights on New York: “After Paris, I dream of winning here”

“I thought about New York just a few hours after winning in Paris. With that result, they couldn’t say no to me,” Yeman Crippa tells Il Foglio Sportivo, having just arrived in the Big Apple. “The reply wasn’t immediate – they work at their own pace – but then the go-ahead came. After all, I was the first European to win at the Eiffel Tower.”

For Yeman Crippa, this will be his eighth marathon, following his debut in Milan in 2023, where he finished fifth in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds. He fared much better the following year in Seville, when he set the Italian record with a time of 2h06’06”, a record that was subsequently broken later that same year in Valencia by Yohanes Chiappinelli. The record is now held by Iliass Aouani, who ran the Tokyo Marathon in 2h04’26” in 2026.

Of course, you don’t come to New York to chase the clock. The route is stunning, the support marvellous, but it’s not a fast marathon. “It’s a beautiful, iconic race, but much tougher than Paris. The course is tough,” Crippa emphasises. “Everything has to go perfectly. I’ll certainly run conservatively, without chasing any early breakaways. Then, after the 30-kilometre mark, if I’m feeling good, I’ll run the race I have in mind. Let’s say the podium could be within my reach, but I won’t hide the fact that I’m dreaming of victory. There isn’t a clear favourite. The top contenders, in my view, are last year’s winner, the Kenyan Benson Kipruto, and the Swede Andreas Almgren, the newly crowned world half-marathon champion, whom I’d be keeping a particularly close eye on. I’ve trained well, averaging 200 kilometres a week.”

According to the article, finishing in the top five would mean securing an immediate place in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic marathon and having nothing to worry about for the next two years.

To leave nothing to chance, Crippa arrived in New York nine days before the race, on Friday 23 October, in order to shake off the effects of jet lag. It was his first visit to the Big Apple. “Until Wednesday 28, when I moved into the hotel provided by the organisers, I stayed in a flat with my coach Massimo Pegoretti. I ran every day, initially as far as twenty kilometres – always with my coach following me on his bike – before cutting it back to ten. Central Park is brilliant for running, but I also trained along the Hudson, where there are footpaths and protected cycle lanes. It’s a fascinating city, with its skyscrapers, but I wouldn’t live there. Trento is better – it’s a quieter place, more suited to me. Anyway, my girlfriend will be arriving the day before the marathon. Afterwards, we’ll spend a few days in the city, then we’ll go to Washington and on to Florida, until 14 November.”

Three Italians have won the New York Marathon, bringing the total number of men’s victories to four: Orlando Pizzolato in 1984 and 1985, Gianni Poli in 1986 and Giacomo Leone in 1996. To these must be added Franca Fiacconi, winner of the women’s race in 1998. The best result for the Italian team in recent years was Iliass Aouani’s seventh place in 2023. Last year, Daniele Meucci, who had just turned forty, finished in an excellent tenth place. To find an Italian on the podium, one has to go back to 2021, when Eyob Faniel, after leading for much of the race, finished in third place.

Tomorrow is set to be a lovely day, a classic Indian Summer day – summer’s last hurrah in November – with temperatures ranging from 7 to 18 degrees. “These aren’t ideal conditions, but they apply to everyone. It will be important to stay well hydrated during the race, without overdoing it, to avoid any unwanted consequences.”

Also one to watch – even if the organisers do not list her amongst the top favourites – is Giovanna Epis, who remains the third-best Italian marathon runner of all time. Italian runners will once again be the largest contingent amongst the foreign participants: over two thousand at the start line.

He is not running to secure a place in the rankings, but simply to reach the finish line—primarily by walking—Giacomino Poretti, the ‘Giacomo’ of the comedy trio, although without Aldo and Giovanni, who are careful not to run. “I’d love to meet him,” admits Crippa.

Giacomo will be accompanied by his wife Daniela, but above all by Simone Leo, the only Italian to have completed seven of the world’s toughest road ultramarathons: from the 209-kilometre Nove Colli in Romagna to the 492-kilometre Athens–Sparta–Athens race. Simone Leo, through his sports club Impossible Target, has been helping Giacomo with his training. The aim is to finish in seven and a half hours, which will give him plenty of time to be greeted by almost all the Italian runners he meets along the route. His son Emanuele, aged 20, on the other hand, will be running in earnest, aiming to finish in under five hours.

However, the most significant event for Giacomo Poretti and his group will likely take place on Saturday afternoon: they have been invited by Inter Club Manhattan to watch the Milan derby.