Kenya and Ethiopia Triumphant in World's Largest Marathon

KENYA and Ethiopia took the glory as African runners once again dominated the recent Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, the biggest marathon on Earth. 

Nine men reached km 30 in the lead group, but the Kenyan Benard Biwott, a few weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, unleashed a devastating acceleration at km 33 that blew the group to smithereens. He opened up a decisive gap in no time and cruised home in 2:05:25, just 54 seconds off the course record still held by fellow Kenyan Elisha Rotich, who had to settle for twelfth this time in 2025.

“I’m really happy with the win”, beamed the victor. “I pushed hard all the way and I’m really pleased with my time. It was very tough, but I gave it everything I had.” He succeeded the Ethiopian Mulugeta Uma as champion and delivered the sixteenth win for Kenya in the streets of Paris. The Djiboutian Ibrahim Hassan put in a stellar run to take second in 2:06:13, with another Kenyan, Sila Kiptoo rounding out the podium in 2:06:21.

After a cautious first half of the women’s race, four runners broke free going into the final 10 kilometres. On the run-in towards Avenue Foch, the Ethiopian Bedatu Hirpa  – who will soon turn 25 and took the Dubai Marathon in a personal best of 2:18:27 back in January – dropped her last challenger, fellow Ethiopian Dera Dida, to cross the finish line with a time of 2:20:45 and secure the second Ethiopian triumph in Paris.

She succeeded her countrywoman Mestawut Fikir. Thw winner confessed: “I roared as I went over the finish line because I really wanted to win the Marathon de Paris. I was over the moon and wanted to express just how happy I was. 

“It was a tough race, but victory washes away the suffering.” Dera Dida was the best of the rest. The Kenyan Angela Tanui (2:21:07) took the bottom step of the podium as Kenya and Ethiopia took the weekend’s honours.

This article originally appeared in The Voice