Ethiopians Ruti Aga and Dawit Wolde successfully defended their titles at the Xiamen Marathon – the first World Athletics Platinum Label road race of the year – leading Ethiopian sweeps of both podiums on Sunday, November 11, 2026.
Aga crossed the line in 2:22:45, finishing comfortably ahead of compatriots Meseret Abebayehu (2:25:15) and Fikrte Wereta (2:25:31). Li Meizhen was the top Chinese finisher, placing fifth in a PB of 2:27:24.
Aga adopted different tactics compared with her previous record-setting run, opting to stay patient within a larger group rather than pushing from the outset.
“Last year I brought my personal pacer here, so I was pushing from the beginning,” said Aga, who clocked 2:18:46 here in 2025 “This year, I was running with the official pacers and some of male athletes. I was just concentrating on winning. I’m so happy to defend the title here in Xiamen.”
Wolde timed his effort to perfection in the men’s race, stopping the clock at 2:09:18 after a closely contested finish that saw three Ethiopians separated by just four seconds. Hailemaryam Kiros followed in 2:09:20, with Addisu Gobena third in 2:09:22, as the leading pack remained tightly bunched deep into the final kilometres.
Having broken the course record 12 months earlier with 2:06:06, Wolde adopted a more measured approach this time, prioritising victory over speed. The 34-year-old explained that his focus was on managing the race rather than forcing the pace early, a strategy that proved decisive in the closing stages.
“What I wanted to do this year is just to keep my title, not to break my course record, so I had no reason to push it early,” said Wolde, who also welcomed subtle changes to the course, notably the removal of a late U-turn, which he felt made the closing kilometres smoother.
“This year when I came as the defending champion, I put a lot of pressure on me. I did it, so I’m happy.”
National record-holder Yang Shaohui emerged as the leading Chinese man, finishing sixth overall in 2:11:14 after holding contact with the front group for more than 30km.
SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS
