A record falls by nearly four minutes
The Ethiopian Olympic champion Tamirat Tola captured the 2026 Beijing Marathon on Sunday, stopping the clock at 2:03:10 and taking almost four minutes off the race's previous best course time. The event, staged in the Chinese capital, also served as the National Marathon Championships, bringing elite and domestic runners onto the same course.[S1][S2][S3]
Tola's winning margin over the field was not the story so much as the clock. A course record reduced by close to four minutes points to a combination of a fast day, a strong field and a runner at the peak of his powers, and it places his name at the top of the race's all-time list.[S1][S3]
Ethiopia takes every men's podium place
Muktar Edris came home second and Adane Kebede Gebre finished third, so all three men's medals went to Ethiopia. The trio appeared together at the award ceremony, joined by the Kenyan guest Sabastian Sawe. The sweep underlined the depth Ethiopia brought to Beijing rather than any single standout performance.[S1]
Genaneh holds on to the women's crown
In the women's race, Anchinalu Dessie Genaneh of Ethiopia retained the title she had won before, crossing the line in 2:20:36. China's Cirencuomu took second place and her compatriot Lu Ying finished third, giving the home crowd two podium finishers. The three women were honored together at the ceremony that followed the race.[S1]
