Olympic champion Selemon Barega makes a good debut at the Zurich Marathon of Seville

The Ethiopian, who ran alone for half of the race, confirmed his status as favourite in his debut over the distance, winning the race in 2h05:15, while in the women's category his compatriot Anchinalu Dessie Genaneh won (2h22:17). Manon Trapp set a new French women's record in 2h23:38.

Among the Spaniards, first positions for Ilias Fifa, 29th with 2h10:10, and Kaoutar Boulaid, fourth female overall with 2h24:05.

Seville, 23 February 2025 - The Zurich Maratón de Sevilla has celebrated its 40th edition meeting the expectations. The absolute protagonist was the Olympic and World champion Selemon Barega who, in his debut over the distance, got the victory in the flattest course in Europe. The top contender for the triumph broke away alone from kilometre 22 to break the group of favourites, made up of up to 10 runners, pacers included.

Barega, 25 years old, tried to beat the record of the Zurich Maraton de Sevilla, set last year by Azmera Gebru, also Ethiopian, with 2h03:27. Finally, he finished in 2h05:15. After the Ethiopian star, the men's podium was completed by another runner from the African country, Adisu Tesfahun Tafere (2h06:27), and the Moroccan Mohamed Reda El Aaraby (2h:06:45), who climbed up positions in the last kilometres to escort the champion in a race that once again demonstrated the ideal conditions of its route and high level. In fact, 17 athletes crossed the finish line under 2h08 and there were 28 under 2h10 and 45 under 2h15.

Among the Spanish athletes, the first classified was the debutant Ilias Fifa, member of the chasing group of the favourites during the first part of the race and 29th in the final classification with a time of 2h10:10.

WOMEN'S CATEGORY

In the women's category, with a leading quartet until the final part of the race, Anchinalu Dessie Genaneh made it a double for Ethiopia by winning with a time of 2h22:17, far from the 2h18:54 of the Ethiopian Alemu Megertu in 2022, the top time in Seville. She was followed by France's Manon Trapp, runner-up with a new national record (2h23:38), and Kenya's Cynthia Chepchirchir Kosgei, third with 2h23.43.

Spain's Kaoutar Boulaid dreamed of repeating her 2018 triumph, then under the Moroccan flag, taking fourth place in the final with a time of 2h24:05, just 35 seconds short of the qualifying standard for the World Championships in Tokyo. And two minutes later, the Catalan Olympian Meritxell Soler came in seventh with 2h26:05.

In the women's category, up to 10 runners went under 2 hours 28 minutes and three more under 2 hours 29.

In the wheelchair category, the victory went to Joaquín García (1h50:22), accompanied on the podium by Marco Antonio Baena (2h00:50) and Norberto Chávez (2h05:24). In the female category, Carmen Gimenez was the winner. (2h10:41)

ANOTHER RECORD EDITION WITH 14,000 RUNNERS

The Zurich Maraton de Sevilla has once again surpassed itself in its 40th edition. In fact, the 14,000 available numbers, the new participation limit, were sold out six months earlier in an event which, apart from the 250 elite runners, has registered several significant records. This is confirmed by the 7,250 foreigners registered (51.6%) from more than 100 nationalities who took part in the Paseo de las Delicias, the 2,809 women participants (20€) and the 3,282 Andalusians present, 2,484 from Seville.

The Zurich Maraton de Sevilla is organised by the Seville City Council with the collaboration of Sport Life Ibérica and the main sponsorship of Zurich Seguros, Asics as technical sponsor and TotalEnergies as gold sponsor. Hyundai, CaixaBank, Carrefour, Apitox, 226ers, Powerade and ABC complete the list of sponsors.