Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta set a world-leading course record in the men’s race, clocking an impressive 2:03:27 at the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla on Sunday. Geleta’s stellar performance elevated him to the top 20 on the men’s world marathon all-time list. Meanwhile, his compatriot Azmera Gebru claimed victory in the women’s race with a time of 2:22:13. The event saw a total of eight national records shattered as athletes aimed for Olympic Games qualification in Paris.

Geleta’s record-breaking run was closely followed by French athlete Morhad Amdouni (2:03:47) and Israel’s Gashau Ayale (2:04:53), both setting national records. The women’s competition showcased Josephine Chepkoech securing the second spot with a personal best of 2:22:38, while Magdalyne Masai claimed third in 2:22:51.

The men’s race started at a blistering pace, with the leaders hitting 10km in 29:02 and passing the half marathon mark in 1:01:49, a remarkable 42 seconds inside the course record pace. Geleta made a decisive move after the pacemakers dropped out at 25km, ultimately winning by 20 seconds.

In the women’s event, Gebru led a six-strong group that reached halfway in 1:11:22. As the race progressed, she emerged as the sole athlete able to keep pace with the pacemaker, reaching the 40km mark in 2:15:02. Gebru secured the victory in 2:22:13, with record-breaking performances by Meline Rollin and Florencia Borelli in the seventh and eighth positions, respectively.

The Seville Marathon paid tribute to the late marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum with a 42-second silence before the race.