Ethiopia's Tesfay Wins Barcelona Marathon in 2:10:53

Ethiopian runner Fotyen Tesfay claimed victory in the women's elite race at the Zurich Barcelona Marathon in Spain on Sunday, clocking a time of two hours, 10 minutes and 53 seconds in her debut at the distance. The performance marked the second-fastest women's marathon time in history and the quickest ever for a first-time competitor over 42.2 kilometers.

Tesfay, 28, finished nearly eight minutes ahead of second-place finisher Joan Jepkosgei Kiplimo of Kenya, who recorded a personal best of 2:18:42. Fellow Ethiopian Zeineba Yimer took third place in 2:18:49, also a personal best. Tesfay's mark shattered the previous course record of 2:19:33, set by Sharon Chelimo of Kenya in 2025, and established a new Ethiopian national record.

Entering the race with ambitions to challenge the world record, Tesfay ran alongside two male pacemakers. She covered the first 10 kilometers in 31:05 and reached the halfway point in 1:05:05. Her pace held steady through 30 kilometers in 1:32:00, but windy conditions in the later stages slowed her progress, with the 40-kilometer split at 2:03:31. Despite falling 57 seconds short of the world record of 2:09:56, set by Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich at the...