Canada’s Philibert-Thiboutot ends running career at 34, placing 21st in NYC Marathon

CBC Sports

· Posted: Nov 02, 2025 3:40 PM EST | Last Updated: November 5

Canadian runner and two-time Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot is looking guardant to immoderate remainder arsenic helium enters retirement.

The 34-year-old capped a 15-year way and roadworthy racing vocation with his marathon debut connected Sunday successful New York City, finishing 21st successful the nonrecreational men’s radical successful 2 hours 26 minutes 25 seconds.

“The clip wasn’t pretty, but I came done the archetypal fractional with the pb battalion successful 65:20,” helium told Canadian Running. “It was overmuch faster than I wanted to spell out, but I felt great.”

However, it wasn’t agelong earlier Philibert-Thiboutot began to cramp astir 28 oregon 29 kilometres of 42.2 and astir stopped.

“All that mattered [at that point] was finishing but it was truly hard,” helium said.

Philibert-Thiboutot leaves the athletics connected a precocious enactment aft achieving 3 personal-best times indoors crossed 1,500 metres, the mile (1,609m) and 5,000 to statesman his last campaign. He acceptable different 4 outdoors, highlighted by his triumph and 28 infinitesimal six-second nationalist grounds astatine the Canadian 10K Road Running Championships successful Ottawa connected May 24.

In aboriginal April, Philibert-Thiboutot raced the 3,000 and 5,000 metres astatine the inaugural Grand Slam Track conscionable successful Kingston, Jamaica.

The Quebec City jock is simply a six-time Canadian champion successful the 1,500 who had 3 top-three finishes connected the way this season, including a silver-medal show successful the 1,500 astatine the NACAC Championships successful mid-August. He was victorious connected Sept. 20 astatine the Canadian 5K Road Running Championships successful Montreal.

Philibert-Thiboutot made his Olympic debut successful 2016, placing 16th successful the 1,500 successful Rio earlier battling injuries for a fewer seasons.

He didn’t suffice for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but returned to the Summer Games past twelvemonth successful Paris, wherever Philibert-Thiboutot ran a 2024 play champion of 3:33.29 successful his 1,500 semifinal heat. He besides competed astatine 4 World Athletics Championships, astir precocious successful September successful Tokyo.

“I’m precise bushed mentally, physically. I’m precise blessed with my career,” Philibert-Thiboutot said Sunday.

Obiri takes down Okaya record

Meanwhile, a people grounds was acceptable successful the women's contention successful New York City and the men’s contention had its closest-ever finish, decided by a fraction of a second.

Hellen Obiri of Kenya broke the women's grounds portion compatriot Benson Kipruto won the men's contention by edging Alexander Mutiso by 3-100ths of a second.

Obiri, who besides won the contention successful 2023, finished successful 2 hours 19 minutes 51 seconds. She was moving with 2022 victor Sharon Lokedi until Obiri pulled distant from her countrymate successful the last 1.6 km, surging up and winning easy by 16 seconds to champion the erstwhile people grounds of 2:22.31 acceptable by Margaret Okayo successful 2003.

"It feels truthful great. ... I americium truthful blessed to tally the people record," Obiri said. "With 1K to spell I felt similar I was truthful strong. I person thing near successful my tank."

Defending champion Sheila Chepkirui finished third. All 3 bushed the erstwhile people champion connected a beauteous time for running, with temperatures supra 10 C erstwhile the contention started.

Kipruto and Mutiso separated themselves from the pursuit battalion successful the men's contention done 39 km. Kipruto seemed to person enactment the contention away, pulling distant from Mutiso successful the past 200 metres. But Mutiso, who besides is from Kenya, wasn't done, surging successful the past 50 metres earlier falling conscionable short. Kipruto, who was moving the New York contention for the archetypal time, finished successful 2:08.40. That decorativeness topped the 2005 contention that was decided by a second.

"I was alert that Mutiso was behind," said Kipruto, who besides has won the Boston, Chicago and Tokyo marathons. "It was truthful close, and I knew due to the fact that I cognize Mutiso is simply a beardown guy."

Albert Korir, who won successful 2021, was third, giving Kenya a expanse of the apical 3 spots successful some the men's and women's races.

Eliud Kipchoge, who turns 41 adjacent week, wrapped up a historical tally arsenic 1 of the astir accomplished marathoners successful the sport. Kipchoge, who has won 11 large satellite marathons, finished 17th successful his archetypal clip moving NYC.

Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni some won the wheelchair races successful ascendant fashion. Hug, known arsenic the Silver Bullet, has present won this marathon 7 times. He finished 3:52 up of second-place finisher David Weir.

Scaroni defended her rubric and was victorious for the 3rd clip successful 4 years. She crossed the decorativeness enactment 5:43 up of second-place finisher Tatyana McFadden, who won the contention 5 times.