BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia won the 2026 Beijing Marathon in two hours three minutes and 10 seconds on Sunday, cutting the previous course record by nearly four minutes.
The previous course mark of 2:07:06 was set by Kenyan runner Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio in 2019.
Ethiopian runners swept the podium, and the second and third placed Muktar Edris and Adane Kebede Gebre also broke the previous course record in 2:04:34 and 2:05:10, respectively.
The 35-year-old Tola showed good form in recent years with a personal best of 2:02:59 in marathon. He triumphed in the marathon event at the 2022 Oregon World Athletics Championships and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Another Ethiopian runner Anchinalu Dessie Genaneh retained her Beijing Marathon women's title in 2:20:36.
According to organizers, more than 265,000 runners signed up for the Beijing Marathon this year despite a cap of 32,000. The race started from the Tiananmen Square and finished at the Beijing Olympic Park. ■
