Dutch distance diva Sifan Hassan has been running marathons for only a little more than two years. But she has already proven herself one of the best female marathon runners of all time, if not the outright GOAT.
On Sunday, when the 32-year-old, Ethiopian-born athlete runs her first TCS NYC Marathon, she takes the next big step. If successful, she will put herself on the cusp of a historic, almost-unbelievable marathon achievement.
She could become, in 2026, the first runner to win all seven World Marathon Majors, plus an Olympic marathon title.
In many ways, Hassan resembles Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge, widely recognized as the all-time best male marathon runner. Only she has reached that status in two plus years, vs. his 12 years of marathon running. Kipchoge, now 40, is also running in New York City on Sunday.
Hassan Is Always Looking For The Next Challenge
Hassan isn’t just strong and fast. She also has an adventurous spirit that’s rare among elite distance racers. Most prefer to concentrate on just one race where they hope to perform their best. Hassan is omnivorous; she’s always looking for new and difficult challenges.
In 1952, Emil Zatopek gained everlasting fame with his triple-gold performance at the Helsinki Olympics. He won the 5,000, 10,000, and marathon in that year’s Olympic Games.
Hassan has also tripled in the Olympics. Twice. At the 2021 Tokyo Games, she ran the 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000. She won the latter two races and took home bronze in the 1500.
Three years later, in Paris, Hassan ran the Olympic 5,000, 10,000, and marathon, exactly like Zatopek. She won the marathon, the last of the three races, by outkicking Tigist Assefa in a thrilling, bumpy sprint to the finish. Hassan won bronze in both the 5,000 and 10,000.
Comparing Eliud Kipchoge And Sifan Hassan: Two Paths To Marathon Greatness
Let’s consider Kipchoge vs Hassan at the marathon distance alone. Kipchoge made his debut in 2013, winning the Hamburg Marathon in 2:05:30. He currently ranks second on the all-time marathon list with the 2:01:09 he recorded at Berlin in 2022. Kelvin Kiptum tops the all-time list with his 2:00:35. (Kipchoge also ran a 1:59:40 exhibition marathon in Vienna in 2019.)
Hassan ran her first marathon in London in 2023 and had a difficult day, trailing the leaders at one point. She even had to stop twice to stretch her legs. However, she rallied for the win in 2:18:33 and improved to a personal best 2:13:44 at that fall’s Chicago Marathon.
Hassan currently stands third on the all-time list behind Ruth Chepngetich (2:09:56) and Tigist Assefa (2:11:53). Chepngetich’s time is viewed with a jaundiced eye by many, as she failed a doping test five months later.
Kipchoge has won two of the three Olympic Marathons he has entered (2016 and 2021), but dropped out of the 2024 Paris Olympic Marathon at the 19-mile mark after falling behind the front runners. He is now 40 years old and not regarded as a serious threat in major marathons.
Hassan is one-for-one in Olympic Marathons. She is now 32, and has to be rated the favorite in any marathon she enters, though Sunday’s NYC Marathon has a particularly deep, talented female field. It includes past NYC winners Sharon Lokedi, Hellen Obiri, and Sheila Chepkirui.
Kipchoge has won four of the seven current World Marathon Majors — Berlin, London, Chicago, and Tokyo — and also the Olympic Marathon. He placed sixth at the 2023 Boston Marathon and ninth at the Sydney Marathon on August 31. Sydney became the seventh World Marathon Major this year.
Could Sifan Hassan Win All Seven Marathon Majors?
Kipchoge’s four victories in the majors put him ahead of all others in the race to become the first champion in all seven. Hassan is close on his heels and has the age-momentum-adventure factor behind her. She has won three Majors — London, Chicago, and Sydney —plus the Olympics.
Let’s assume Hassan wins New York City on Sunday. That would give her four majors. How does she get from four to seven?
Easy! All she has to do is win Tokyo on March 1, 2026, Boston on April 20, and Berlin on September 27. That would amount to yet another “triple” for her, just like her triples in the last two Olympic Games.
Of course, three major marathon wins in seven months wouldn’t actually come easy. It would require a runner with incredible physical strength and even greater mental focus.
These are qualities that Sifan Hassan has already proven she has. And the payoff would be fantastic.
The First To Win Seven Is The First Forever
The story of her quest would make global headlines most of next year, a relatively unimportant one on the World Athletics calendar. We all tune in when someone dares to chase after a “first” at some momentous feat.
After all, if you get there first, you can never be supplanted. Have you ever heard of Roger Bannister?
If Hassan can put herself atop the podium in all seven World Marathon Majors, she will make history like Bannister. And their differences will only burnish her accomplishment, the marathon instead of the mile, a female instead of a male.
No question, she would then be declared the GOAT — the Greatest of All Time.
For more information on the upcoming NYC marathon, check out our guide:
