Mayaka Stuns in Late Surge as Ndiwa Cruises to Victory in Cali Marathon

Monday, 05 May 2025

Kenya claimed both top spots at the inaugural Maratón de Cali on Sunday morning, with Evans Mayaka pulling off a dramatic comeback in the final kilometres to win the men’s race, while Emmah Ndiwa cruised to a dominant solo victory in the women’s field. With over 11,000 runners from 39 countries, Cali’s debut on the international marathon stage delivered heat, humidity—and a thrilling finish.

When Evans Mayaka dropped off the lead he was sharing with Kenyan compatriot Bonface Kiplimo at the 35km mark of the inaugural Maratón de Cali (Colombia) on Sunday, it looked like their personal bests—2:10:00 for Mayaka and 2:05:05 for Kiplimo—were starting to show their difference. Kiplimo began pulling away steadily, seemingly en route to a comfortable win. But with just 2km to go, Kiplimo began to falter. Mayaka seized the moment, surged forward, and with less than a kilometre left, overtook him to claim victory in 2:11:04—nearly 30 seconds ahead of his fading rival.

In the women’s race, Emmah Ndiwa delivered a commanding performance, winning in 2:29:26 and securing another Kenyan sweep. Her win looked far from certain early on, with pre-race favourite Helalia Johannes of Namibia never making it into the lead group. By halfway (1:14:50), the front pack had whittled down to Ndiwa and Ethiopians Nigist Muluneh and Adenech Mekonnen. But shortly after the halfway point, Ndiwa surged ahead solo.

On the men’s side, Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay was the pre-race favourite but began to struggle even before the halfway mark (passed in 1:04:56 by the lead pack of eight). He soon dropped out, and the attrition continued as Richard Rop’s tempo proved too much for fellow Kenyans Eric Kiptanui, Namibia’s Daniel Paulus, Eritrea’s Mogos Soloman, and Tanzania’s Peter Qambaway. When Rop himself withdrew at 32km, the race came down to Mayaka and Kiplimo.

“I thought I had the race won at 35k when Evans fell back,” said Kiplimo. “But I ran out of energy with three kilometres to go and couldn’t respond when he came past.”

Mayaka, beaming at the finish, said, “I was resigned to second place until after 40k, when I realised Bonface was slowing. It was a great feeling to pass him at 41k and know the race was mine.”

Meanwhile, Ndiwa found herself alone from the halfway mark. At that point, she even passed former men’s world record holder, 41-year-old Dennis Kimetto. “I didn’t expect to be running alone from 21k,” she said. “So I just focused on holding my form and getting to the finish line first.”

A pre-dawn drizzle helped temper the tough conditions—19°C (66°F) at the 5am start, 95% humidity, and Cali’s 1,000+ metre altitude. With lively salsa bands and bright murals lining the mostly flat course, the event brought atmosphere to match the competition.

As for Mayaka, his focus now turns to a sea-level marathon—where he’ll aim to clock a time closer to Kiplimo’s personal best and take the next step in his career.

LEADING RESULTS

RESULTS

Men: