Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and Azmera Gebru turned in amazing performances in the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla on Sunday, 18th, shattering previous records in a breathtaking display of brilliance.
Geleta stormed to victory in the men’s category, clocking an unprecedented 2:03:27 and securing a position among the top 20 on the all-time list for men’s world marathon. Gebru dominated the women’s race, crossing the finish line in 2:22:13.
The day was characterized by a flurry of record-breaking achievements, with athletes setting their sights on Olympic Games qualification for the upcoming event in Paris. A total of 12 male runners finished the marathon in under 2:08, while 14 female athletes achieved a sub-2:25 time.
Among the record-breakers were Morhad Amdouni of France, claiming second place with a time of 2:03:47, Gashau Ayale of Israel securing the third spot in 2:04:53, and Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa taking fourth place with a time of 2:06:06.
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In the women’s race, Josephine Chepkoech secured the runner-up position with a personal best time of 2:22:38, closely followed by Kenyan Magdalyne Masai in third place with a time of 2:22:51.
The men’s race commenced at a blistering pace, covering 10km in an impressive 29:02. The leading group of nine athletes reached the half marathon mark in 1:01:49, a staggering 42 seconds inside the course record pace. As the pacemakers exited around the 25km mark, Geleta seized the opportunity to make his move. Amdouni closed the gap by the 30km checkpoint, but Geleta pulled away over the final 5km, securing victory by 20 seconds in 2:03:27.
In the women’s race, Gebru led a six-strong group, passing halfway in 1:11:22 and eventually reducing to three athletes by the two-hour mark. Gebru emerged as the lone contender, sticking with the pacemaker and reaching the 40km mark in 2:15:02. Her determined effort culminated in a victory with a time of 2:22:13, 25 seconds ahead of Chepkoech, while Masai finished 13 seconds behind.
Additional records were set by Sweden’s Suldan Hassan in ninth place (2:07:36), Chile’s Carlos Martin Diaz del Rio in 18th (2:08:04), and Macedonia’s Dario Ivanovski in 20th (2:08:26). Noteworthy record-breakers in the women’s race included Meline Rollin, placing seventh with a French record of 2:24:12, and Argentina’s Florencia Borelli securing eighth place with a South American record of 2:24:18.
Before the race commenced, a poignant 42-second silence paid tribute to marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically lost his life in a road traffic accident the previous weekend.
