Course records for both men and women were broken at the Zurich Barcelona Marathon on Sunday March 16, 2025, with Tesfaye Deriba Ketema and Sharon Chelimo claiming victory in the World Athletics Gold Label road race with times of 2:04:13 and 2:19:33, respectively.
Chelimo waited until the final 10km before making her move. Until then, she ran as part of a pack, going through 10km in 33:17 before reaching the half-way point in 1:10:00, putting her on track for a 2:20 finish.
The 30-year-old Kenyan, who entered the race with a PB of 2:22:07, was keen to smash through the 2:20 barrier, so she increased her pace in the second half. After going through 30km in 1:39:49, she moved into the lead and opened up a gap on her opponents.
She went on to finish in 2:19:33, smashing her PB by more than two minutes, and taking 11 seconds off the course record set two years ago. Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese was second in 2:20:47 while Kenya’s Linet Masai took third in 2:21:01.
The men’s race was somewhat closer, though Ketema was still a comfortable winner in 2:04:13, taking 48 seconds off the course record set last year. Kenya’s Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat took second place in 2:04:54 ahead of his compatriot Enock Onchari (2:05:20).
One month after breaking the European indoor 5000m record, Jimmy Gressier added another continental record to his collection for the same distance, this time on the roads at the Lille 5km.
The multiple French record-holder was involved in a close tussle with Uruguay’s Santiago Catrofe in the closing stages. Both men were credited with the same time, 12:57, but Gressier finished marginally ahead. They both now stand at equal fifth on the world all-time list.
Third-place finisher Yann Schrub from France placed third in 13:00, well inside the previous European record of 13:12.
Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha won the women’s race in a world-leading 14:30 to move up to ninth on the world all-time list. She led an Ethiopian sweep of the podium ahead of Hawi Abera (14:32) and Likina Amebaw (14:38).
Seoul Marathon 2025 results
Ethiopian duo Haftu Teklu and Bekelech Borecha took top honours at the Seoul Marathon – a World Athletics Platinum Label road race – on Sunday (16), winning in 2:05:42 and 2:21:36 respectively.
In a close contest, the men’s race was only decided in the final stages. Teklu, Felix Kiptoo Kirwa and Bernard Kiprop Koech had broken away from the rest of the field and were running shoulder to shoulder with one kilometre remaining.
With little more than a minute to go, Koech started to fade while Kirwa edged ahead. But with the finish line in sight, Teklu managed to stride past the Kenyan to take his first marathon victory in 2:05:42.
Kirwa followed two seconds later, while Koech claimed third in 2:05:50.
Borecha’s victory was more decisive. The Ethiopian had forged a lead long before the finish, breaking clear from compatriots Fikrte Weresa Admasu and Mestawut Fikir.
Borecha went on to win in 2:21:36 with Admasu taking second place in 2:22:54 and Fikir, limping across the finish line, finishing third in 2:23:10.
Abel Kipchumba retained his title at the United Airlines NYC Half in 59:09, while fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi took the women’s title in 1:07:04 at the World Athletics Label road race.
With the course not being record eligible, times won’t count for PBs or performance lists. Nevertheless, Conner Mantz’s 59:15 runner-up performance is the fastest ever half marathon recorded by a US athlete on any course.
USA’s Hillary Bor was third in 59:55 with Britain’s Patrick Dever fourth in 1:00:19.
Lokedi, racing in the city where she won the 2022 New York Marathon, was a comfortable winner ahead of USA’s Fiona O’Keeffe (1:07:46) and Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery (1:07:49).
Elsewhere in the US, Matt Richtman became the first US man in 31 years to win the Los Angeles Marathon.
The 25-year-old, contesting just his second marathon to date, produced the second-fastest winning time in the event’s history to take the men’s title in 2:07:46, smashing his PB by three minutes and elevating him to fifth on the US all-time list.
Tejinesh Gebisa Tulu took the women’s title in 2:30:14.
