Historic Barcelona marathon
Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay shattered the Barcelona Marathon course record and ran 2:10:53 — the second-fastest women’s marathon ever — and did it in her debut at the distance, a performance being called one of the most remarkable ever seen in the event Tesfay sets second fastest ever women’s marathon time Several outlier performances at Barcelona Marathon including women's second fastest all-time in her debut.
The Zurich Barcelona Marathon was held on March 15, 2026 ([zurichmaratobarcelona.es)], and Tesfay’s performance also established a new Ethiopian national record while lowering the previous Barcelona course mark of 2:19:33 set by Sharon Chelimo in 2025 ([democrata.es)]. Race splits show Tesfay reached 40 km in 2:03:31 and ran at world‑record pace through 35 km (about 1:47:34), indicating an aggressive opening strategy across the middle of the race ([worldathletics.org)]. She crossed the line nearly eight minutes clear of the runner‑up, Kenya’s Joan Jepkosgei Kiplimo, who recorded 2:18:40 for second place ([worldathletics.org)]. Before Barcelona Tesfay held a 1:03:21 half‑marathon best (Valencia, 27 Oct 2024) and had finished seventh in the 10,000m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, credentials that underpinned her step up to the marathon distance ([worldathletics.org)]. In the men’s race Uganda’s Abel Chelangat won in 2:04:57, edging Patrick Mosin late in the race to take the title in what some reports described as a career‑best performance ([worldathletics.org)]. The women’s world record to chase remains Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 from Chicago 2024, a mark that has been ratified even as Chepngetich received a three‑year ban announced in October 2025 after admitting an anti‑doping rule violation ([athleticsweekly.com)].
