Kenya’s Mwangi and Michira Dominate Rain-Soaked Stramilano Half Marathon
Simon Mwangi Waithira and Gesare Morine Michira delivered a Kenyan sweep at the 52nd Stramilano Half Marathon on a wet Sunday morning in Milan, March 23. Mwangi won the men’s race in 1:00:54, while Michira took the women’s title in 1:08:47, continuing Kenya’s strong legacy at the historic event.
Simon Mwangi Waithira and Gesare Morine Michira claimed a Kenyan double victory at the 52nd edition of the Stramilano Half Marathon, held on a rainy morning in Milan on Sunday, March 23.
Mwangi crossed the finish line in 1:00:54, just 11 seconds off his personal best. The 28-year-old had finished third in last year’s edition, where he set his PB of 1:00:43.
A lead group featuring Kenyan runners Moses Cheruiyot, Shadrack Kipkurui, Zacharia Krop, John Kiplagat, Charles Mneria, Simon Mwangi Waithira, and Burundi’s Yves Nimubona passed the 5 km mark in 14:51. By the halfway point, only Kipkurui and Mwangi remained out front, clocking 28:36 at 10 km—on pace for a sub-60-minute finish.
Mwangi made his move at the 14 km mark, dropping Kipkurui and passing 15 km in 42:56. Though his pace slowed in the final stretch, he maintained control and secured the win with a 24-second lead over Nimubona. Mneria took third in 1:02:08.
In the women’s race, Morine Gesare Michira clocked 1:08:47 in her third consecutive Stramilano appearance, marking the fourth-fastest time of her career. She had set her PB of 1:08:13 with a runner-up finish at last year’s race.
Michira led from early on, running in a front pack with Monica Chebet Cheruiyot and Stella Chebet Mateiko through 5 km in 16:10. She broke away by the halfway mark, hitting 10 km in 32:42 with a 28-second lead over her rivals.
Her dominance only grew from there. By 15 km, she had widened the gap to 1:24. Michira crossed the finish line unchallenged in 1:08:47. Mateiko, the younger sister of elite marathoner Daniel Mateiko, finished second in 1:11:19, with Chepkwony close behind in 1:11:25.
This year’s race also celebrated Stramilano’s rich heritage. The event was recently honored with the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in the Competitions category, recognizing its contributions to the sport.
Legends such as Grete Waitz, Rosa Mota, Prisca Jeptoo, Ruth Chepngetich, Rob De Castella, Gelindo Bordin, Moses Tanui, and Paul Tergat have all left their mark on the race. Tanui famously broke the one-hour barrier here in 1993 with a time of 59:47. Tergat dominated six consecutive editions from 1994 to 1999, setting a world record of 59:17 in 1998. Chepngetich launched her international career at Stramilano and went on to win the world marathon title in 2019 and break the world record with 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024.
The current course records stand at 59:12 by James Wangari (2016) and 1:07:28 by Gladys Longari (2023).
