Fotyen Tesfay stunned in her marathon debut at the Barcelona Marathon on Sunday, as she surged to a 2:10:51 win for the second-fastest time every by a woman at the distance.
Despite running the distance competitively for the first time, Tesfay was on track for a possibly historic time, clocking world record pace through the 35k mark 1:47:34 but breaking the event course record by nine minutes and falling 57 seconds short of a new standard.
And by the 40k as she crossed in 2:03:31, Tesfay knew that even with the Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 record the 2024 Chicago Marathon out of reach, she made a statement with one of the most dominant performances all-time.
“Today was fantastic, not what I was expecting, but it is good,” she said after the race, while speaking through an interpreter.
Tesfay now also holds the new Ethopian national record and took down Sharon Chelimo’s 2:19:33 course record from last year’s Barcelona Marathon.
Kenyan Joan Jepkosgei finished second in 2:18:4 while Zeineba Yimer took third in 2:18:49.
Tesfay, 28, competed for Ethiopia at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished seventh in the 10,000m but has made the half marathon her specialty with strong showings in Valencia (63:21) in 2024 and Berlin (63:35) in 2025.
In the men’s race Abel Chelangat pulled away late as he and Patrick Mosin were locked in battle until Chelangat edged past at the 40k mark at 1:58:40. Chelangat kept his pace and kicked to a 2:04:57 win with Mosin four seconds off in 2:05:01 as Jonathan Samanayo Korir finished third in 2:05:29.
According to organizers, the race set its own new record with 32,000 participants and 63 percent from outside of Spain.
Women’s elite finishers
1. Fotyen Tesfay (Ethiopia) – 2:10:51
2. Joan Jepkosgei Kiplimo (Kenya) – 2:18:42
3. Zeineba Yimer (Ethiopia) – 2:18:49
4. Chaltu Chimdesa Kumsa (Ethiopia) – 2:23:32
5. Yalganesh Eskamech Gedefa (Ethiopia) – 2:24:05
6. Carolina Robles Campos (Spain) — 2:24:58
7. Lucy Nthenya Ndambuki (Kenya) — 2:28:02
8. Gladys Tejeda (Peru) — 2:29:51
9. Sofia Assefa Abebe (Ethiopia) — 2:22:59
10. Loréna Meningand (France) — 2:24:10
11. David Torres Altarriba (Spain) — 2:34:15
12. Andrea Meier (Switzerland) — 2:36:36
13. Fabiana Lafuente Pochettino (Spain) — 2:36:43
14. Laura Jegeleviciute (Lithuania) — 2:37:27
15. Veronika Páleníková (Slovakia) — 2:38:11
Men’s elite finishers
1. Abel Chelangat (Kenya) – 2:04:57
2. Patrick Mosin (Kenya) – 2:05:01
3. Jonathan Samanayo Korir (Kenya) – 2:05:29
4. Moses Kipngetich Kemei (Kenya) – 2:05:53
5. Kaan Kigen Özbilen (Turkey) – 2:06:01
6. Haile Tigabu Desta (Ethiopia) — 2:06:20
7. Timothy Kipkorir Kattam (Kenya) — 2:06:42
8. Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba (Kenya) — 2:06:55
9. Mekuant Ayenew Gebre (Ethiopia) — 2:07:42
10. Vincent Kipkorir Kigen (Kenya) — 2:07:46
11. Haftom Welday (Germany) — 2:08:15
12. Yismaw Atinafu Yitayew (Ethiopia) — 2:08:48
13. Chebon Stephen Kipkech (Kenya) — 2:09:03
14. Shumi Dechasa Leche (Ethiopia) — 2:10:52
15. Mogos Tuemay Abrha (Ethiopia) — 2:10:53
