Zouhair Talbi On His Top American Finish In 2:06:43 (U.S. Course Record) At The 2026 New York City Marathon | Race Recap + Reflections

“Me matching that move showed I was trained. At that point everyone is tired. To go from running fast to running very fast and still be there — that showed something. Small tweaks here and there can really put me in contention next time.”

My guest for today’s episode is Zouhair Talbi, who crossed the finish line of the 2026 New York City Marathon in sixth place for top American in 2:06:43.

We recorded this on Friday, November 6th while some of the mental replays of the race are still fresh.

Mostly, he’s thinking about that last mile. At 40 kilometers, Zouhair was in fourth place, six seconds off the lead. By the time he crossed the line, he’d given up two more spots and the Olympic qualifying standard along with them. What he’ll tell you is that he doesn’t regret any of it — not the surges, not going to the front, not the tactical decisions that defined the first 35 kilometers. What he does regret is that none of it worked the way he’d drawn it up.

We dive into all of the moves as well as what Andreas Almgren looked like when Benson Kipruto made his move at 37K. He puts us in his shoes for the last mile — fighting demons in fifteen-second increments, waiting for someone to crack, watching the Australian come by in the final four hundred with nothing left to answer.

He grades his 2026. And he shares a bit about the inspiration he got from watching Jess McClain achieve her runner-up finish in the women’s race.

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