Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay stormed to second on the world all-time list, running a 2:10:51 marathon debut at the Zurich Barcelona Marathon – a World Athletics Elite Label road race – on Sunday 15 March 2026.
The 28-year-old started the race as the third-fastest women’s half marathon runner in history and ended it by surpassing that feat over double the distance, finishing within a minute of the world marathon record.
She won the race by almost eight minutes ahead of Kenya’s Joan Jepkosgei Kiplimo, while Uganda’s Abel Chelangat won the men’s race in 2:04:57.
After finishing seventh at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and eighth at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in the 10,000m, Tesfay started her marathon journey by covering the first 10km in 31:05 in Barcelona as she followed her two male pacemakers.
They picked up the pace and hit the halfway mark in 1:05:05, forging on to reach 30km in 1:32:00.
Her target was the world record of 2:09:56 set by Ruth Chepngetich in Chicago in 2024 and Tesfay looked determined as she went through 40km in 2:03:31. While she was unable to dip under 2:10 this time, Tesfay was rewarded with the fastest ever women’s marathon debut, an Ethiopian record and the second-quickest performance in history.
“Today was fantastic – not what I was expecting, but it is good,” she told the race broadcaster, speaking through an interpreter.
“My plan was to attack the world record but today there was a lot of wind, I was not able to push in the last part of the race. Today I did not succeed, but in the next marathon I would like to try for the world record.”
Jepkosgei Kiplimo finished second in 2:18:42 and Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer was third in 2:18:49.
In the men’s race, Chelangat and Kenya’s Patrick Mosin broke away and Chelangat tracked his rival through 40km in 1:58:40. Chelangat made his move as they reached a water station and he looked in control as he strode away with two hours on the clock.
Mosin couldn’t respond and Chelangat clinched the win unchallenged, clocking 2:04:57 to Mosin’s 2:05:01. Kenya’s Jonathan Samanayo Korir was third in 2:05:29.
Leading results
Women
1 Fotyen Tesfay (ETH) 2:10:51
2 Joan Jepkosgei Kiplimo (KEN) 2:18:42
3 Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:18:49
4 Chaltu Chimdesa Kumsa (ETH) 2:23:32
5 Yalganesh Eskamech Gedefa (ETH) 2:24:05
Men
1 Abel Chelangat (UGA) 2:04:57
2 Patrick Mosin (KEN) 2:05:01
3 Jonathan Samanayo Korir (KEN) 2:05:29
4 Moses Kipngetich Kemei (KEN) 2:05:53
5 Kaan Kigen Özbilen (TUR) 2:06:01
SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS
