Peter Kwemoi breaks course record as Kenya sweeps Venice Marathon titles

Peter Kwemoi Ndorobo and Jackline Jerono secured a Kenyan double at the 40th edition of the Wizz Air Venice Marathon, with Kwemoi breaking the men’s course record in 2:07:31.

The men’s race produced exceptional depth, with the top three finishers running under 2:08 and eight athletes breaking 2:10. Jerono completed the Kenyan sweep with victory in 2:26:16, the third-fastest women’s time in the event’s history.

Men’s race

A leading group of 15 athletes established a consistent early pace, passing 5 km in 14:59 and 10 km in 30:00. Pacemakers Paul Chirchir, Simon Waithaka and Thomas Ayeko guided the leaders through halfway in 1:03:39, inside course-record pace.

Nine runners remained in contention as the group reached the Liberty Bridge. With the pacemakers’ work complete, the course’s demanding final section, featuring 14 bridges, once again proved decisive.

Kwemoi increased the pressure, gradually dropping his rivals until only Ethiopia’s Yatede Tarto Berhanu could stay with him. The Kenyan eventually opened a four-second advantage, reaching 40 km in 2:00:47 before extending his lead over the closing kilometres.

He crossed the finish line in 2:07:31, taking 10 seconds off Solomon Mutai’s three-year-old course record and improving his previous personal best of 2:11:47, set in San Felice Circeo in February. Kwemoi also holds a half-marathon best of 59:58, recorded in Prague in 2018.

Berhanu finished second in 2:07:47, also inside the previous course record, while Dickson Simbu Nyakundi completed the podium with a personal best of 2:07:56.

Collins Kemboi Kipsang improved his lifetime best to 2:08:07 in fourth, ahead of fellow Kenyan Evans Kipkorir in 2:08:41. Ethiopia’s Niakola Gela placed sixth in 2:08:50, followed by Felix Kimutai in 2:09:00 and Wesley Ledama in 2:09:01.

Peter Kwemoi: “I am very happy because I won a highly prestigious race, but above all because I improved my time by almost 4 minutes, making my personal best also the course record. I started my career relatively late. I am 33 and this was just my sixth marathon. I ran my first 42 km race in 2018 in Istanbul.”

Women’s race

The women’s race began at a controlled pace, with a leading group of five reaching halfway together in 1:14:02.

The four-kilometre stretch across the Liberty Bridge broke the field apart. Kenya’s Jackline Jerono and Ethiopia’s Alemaz Samuel Teshale pulled clear of Worknesh Alemu Mola, setting up a closely fought battle for victory.

A mishap at the final refreshment station briefly threatened Jerono’s chances. The Kenyan dropped her water bottle and stopped to retrieve it, allowing Teshale to seize the initiative and open a small gap.

Jerono steadily recovered the lost ground, caught her Ethiopian rival and launched a decisive counterattack. She pulled away to win in 2:26:16, improving her personal best by around five minutes.

Teshale, the 2018 world under-20 champion over 1500 metres in Tampere, finished second in a personal best of 2:26:23. Ethiopia’s Worknesh Alemu Mola completed the podium.

Jackline Jerono: “I am very happy to have won in Venice for the fortieth edition, and I am glad to have achieved my personal best. This win gives me a lot of confidence.”

Please double-check Mola’s time: your draft lists 2:26:46, while the results you shared earlier showed 2:28:46. I’ve omitted her time pending confirmation.

TOP RESULTS MEN'S MARATHON

TOP RESULTS WOMEN'S MARATHON

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