NYRR Media Center

Abdi Abdirahman will kick off his career finale by running the TCS New York City Marathon for the ninth and final time this November. He is a five-time Olympian, having represented Team USA in the 10,000 meters in 2000, 2004, and 2008, and in the marathon in 2012 and 2020. He finished third in a time of 2:10:03 at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team for the fifth time, becoming the oldest American runner ever to make the team at 43.

Abdirahman was the top American at two consecutive TCS New York City Marathons. He finished third in 2016 in 2:11:23, which made him, at age 39, the oldest men’s open division runner in New York City Marathon history to reach the podium. He was also the first American man to finish in the open division top three since Meb Keflezighi won the race in 2009. He was seventh in 2017 in 2:12:48, eclipsing Keflezighi’s masters division record in the event, and earning prize money in three different divisions: open, USA, and masters. He then bettered the masters record again in 2019, running 2:11:34 to finish ninth.

Abdirahman also competed at five World Athletics Championships and finished as runner-up at the NYC Half in 2007.

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Abdirahman fled the country with his parents and four siblings during the Somali civil war when he was 13. They traveled to a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the U.S. and settling in Arizona. Abdirahman became a U.S. citizen in 2000 and the following year graduated from the University of Arizona, where he was an NCAA Cross Country champion. 

Last year, Abdirahman, known in running circles as “The Black Cactus,” published a book on his life journey called Abdi’s World.