This year’s Seville Marathon delivered incredible drama for running fans. The men’s race was decided by a photo finish with identical times of 2:03:59, while in the women’s field, Alisa Vainio broke the Finnish national record, confirming that the Andalusian capital was one of the fastest places on Earth today.
A Rare 42km Sprint: The Men’s Photo Finish
The men’s competition in Seville produced a conclusion rarely seen in marathon racing. The victory came down to a spectacular sprint between two Ethiopian athletes who fought for the top spot until the very last inch. Shura Kitata and Asrar Hiyrden crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, both recording an official time of 2:03:59. Due to the incredibly close finish, organizers were forced to use photo finish analysis, which delayed the official announcement of the winner.
Ultimately, Shura Kitata was declared the champion, marking a successful return to elite global racing for the decorated runner. The podium was completed by a third Ethiopian, Dejene Hailu Bikila, who finished in 2:04:15. The top European performer was Israel’s Bukayawe Malede, taking ninth place with a time of 2:07:38. The battle for the lead was contested at a blistering pace from the start, as reflected by the top three results.
Negative Split and National Record: Vainio’s Perfect Race
Finland’s Alisa Vainio continues her spectacular rise in the global marathon rankings, securing her biggest career victory to date in Seville. Known for her remarkable endurance, the Finn competed in Spain in what was her fourth marathon in just five months, with each subsequent start proving faster than the last. According to February 2026 data, Vainio started conservatively, staying in the chase pack and passing the halfway mark in 1:10:34. The key to her success was the second half of the race, which she covered in a negative split, clocking 70:05 for the final 21.1 km.
The breakthrough moment occurred just after the 35-kilometer checkpoint, where Vainio overtook the long-time leader, Ethiopia’s Mulat Tekle. Alisa Vainio not only secured a convincing win but, with a time of 2:20:39, improved her own national record by nine seconds—a mark set just two months earlier in Valencia. She also became the first European woman to win in Seville since Portugal’s Filomena Costa in 2015. Vainio finished more than a minute ahead of runner-up Beatrice Cheserek of Kenya, while a fading Tekle dropped to third in 2:22:03.
Speaking to the Finnish Athletics Federation, Vainio admitted she felt in better shape than during her December race, though many factors influence the final result. She emphasized that she sees a real opportunity to break the 2:20:00 barrier in the future, which, given her recent progress, seems like a natural goal. Her path to this result included a fifth-place finish at the World Championships in Tokyo (2:28:32) and a Finnish national title won just three weeks later. Her Seville performance now places her seventh on the European all-time list.
Behind the top three, Italy’s Elisa Palmero had an excellent marathon debut, finishing fourth in 2:24:10. She was followed by reigning European champion Fatima Ouhaddou, the top-performing Spaniard. Personal bests were also set by seventh-place Rebecca Lonedo (Italy) and Czech runner Tereza Hrochova, who took ninth in 2:25:58.
Maratón de Sevilla: A Hub for Record-Breaking
The Seville Marathon once again confirmed its status as one of the fastest courses in Europe, ideal for chasing personal and national records. Alisa Vainio’s result and the fierce men’s battle under the 2:04:00 mark demonstrate that this event has become a fixture for athletes seeking qualifying times for major international championships. The increasing professionalization and the growing number of European women running near 2:20:00 herald a new era for marathoning on the continent.
Full results of the Zurich Maratón de Sevilla are available online.
