Tesfay entered the race aiming to surpass the women's marathon world record of 2 hours 9 minutes 56 seconds, set by Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich at the Chicago Marathon 2024.
The Ethiopian athlete ran alongside two male pacers, completing the first 10 km in 31 minutes 5 seconds and reaching the halfway mark in 1 hour 5 minutes 05 seconds. She maintained a consistent pace, passing the 30 km mark in 1 hour 32 minutes.
Tesfay continued her high speed in the final stages, crossing the 40 km mark in 2 hours 3 minutes 31 seconds. However, strong wind conditions made it challenging for her to maintain the necessary rhythm to break the record before the finish line.
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Fotyen Tesfay broke the course record at the Barcelona Marathon 2026 on 15/3. Photo: EFE |
Tesfay finished first at the Barcelona Marathon 2026 with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes 53 seconds. This marks the best performance by a female athlete in her marathon debut and is the second-fastest time in women's marathon history. Tesfay consequently broke both the Ethiopian national record and the course record.
"Today was amazing. This result exceeded my expectations, but it is very good," the 28-year-old athlete stated, despite not breaking the world record.
Before venturing into marathons, Tesfay was known for her achievements in shorter distances. She is currently the female athlete with the third-fastest half marathon time in history and previously ranked seventh in the 10,000m event at the Paris Olympics 2024, as well as eighth at the World Athletics Championships 2025.
At the Barcelona Marathon 2026, Tesfay secured a dominant victory, finishing almost 8 minutes ahead of the second-place athlete, Kenyan Joan Jepkosgei Kiplimo (2 hours 18 minutes 42 seconds). Her compatriot, Zeineba Yimer, claimed third place with a time of 2 hours 18 minutes 49 seconds.
In the men's event, Ugandan athlete Stephen Kissa Chelangat executed a perfect sprint to cross the finish line first in 2 hours 4 minutes 57 seconds. He broke away from the pack with Kenyan athlete Patrick Mosin before accelerating at a water station with approximately 2 km remaining, leaving his rival behind to claim first place. Mosin finished second in 2 hours 5 minutes 1 second, while his compatriot Jonathan Samanayo Korir ranked third with a time of 2 hours 5 minutes 29 seconds.
Hong Duy
