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Kenyan duo dominate Rome Marathon as records tumble
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 22.03.26. | 21:15
The race was that passes through St. Peter's Square this year also saw a record-breaking number of participants, and number of foreigners
Kenya secured a double win at the Rome Marathon after Asbel Rutto and Pascaline Jelagat Kibiwot registered victories in the men’s and women’s races on Sunday, 22 March.
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Rutto was the biggest winner of the day as he added a second title in the Italian capital, edging out compatriot Henry Tukor Kichana after clocking 2:06.32.
©Ansa.itThe win, which was only by four seconds, ensured he repeated his heroics of 2024, when he led fellow Kenyans Brian Kipsang and Sila Kiptoo to a podium sweep, timing 2:06.24.
On this occasion, the 24-year-old was involved in a three-way battle up until the final kilometres, before sprinting away to mark his first win of the year.
Up until the breakaway, Rutto, a third-placed finisher at the Leiden Marathon last year, was locked up with Kichana and Ethiopia’s Lencho Tesfaye Anbesa, who ended up finishing second and third in 2:06.36 and 2:07.44 respectively.
Speaking to Vivi Roma after the race, Rutto said: “I prepared well for this race. I came here to win, to defend my victory from two years ago; that was my main goal.
About 500 meters from the finish, I began to realize that I would win this race. I'm very satisfied.”
Elsewhere in the women’s race, Kenya’s Jelagat set a new course record and a personal best to memorably win on her Rome Marathon debut in a time of 2:22.44.
©Ansa.itJelagat, whose previous personal best in the marathon was the 2:24.56 she set at the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon last year, broke away from the rest of the field after the 25 kilometer mark to breeze away to a comfortable victory, which bested the course record by eight seconds.
Second and third place went to Ethiopians Genet Tadesse Robi and Aberash Fayesa Robi, who clocked 2:24.55 and 2:25.43 respectively.
"The race went well. I didn't expect to win, and I'm really happy about it,” a victorious Jelagat said post-race. “It's my first time here, the course is really beautiful, and I'm very satisfied because I also improved my personal best."