Marathon Legend Kipchoge Runs First Race on African Soil After 13 Years
Cape Town, 25 May 2026
At 41, two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge made history by completing his first official marathon on African soil, finishing 16th at Cape Town in 2:13:29. This marked the beginning of his ambitious quest to run marathons across all seven continents over the next two years.
A Homecoming Six Months in the Making
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday, 24 May 2026, represented far more than just another race for Kipchoge—it was his first marathon in more than six months and a deeply symbolic return to African soil [1]. The Kenyan legend’s participation electrified the South African crowd, who welcomed him with thunderous applause as he crossed the finish line in what he described as ‘a celebration of running on this beautiful course’ [1]. Despite finishing well outside his usual winning position, Kipchoge’s presence alone transformed the event into a continental celebration of distance running excellence.
Ethiopian Dominance Sets New Continental Records
While Kipchoge provided the emotional centrepiece, Ethiopia’s athletes delivered the performance headlines, completely dominating both elite races [2]. Mohamed Esa stormed to victory in the men’s race with a stunning course record time of 2:04:55, obliterating the previous mark of 2:08:16 set by Ethiopia’s Abdisa Tola in 2024 [1][2]. His compatriot Yihunilign Adane finished a mere four seconds behind in 2:04:59, whilst the women’s race saw Ethiopia sweep the entire podium with Dera Dida winning in 2:23:18, ahead of Mestawut Fikir (2:23:46) and Waganesh Mekasha (2:23:57) [2]. The Cape Town Marathon also entered the record books as the fastest marathon ever run on African soil, eclipsing the previous continental benchmark of 2:06:32 set at the Marrakesh Marathon in 2020 [2].
Kenya’s Mixed Results Reflect Continental Shift
Kenya’s traditional marathon dominance faced a stern test in Cape Town, with the nation managing just one podium finish across both elite races [2]. Kalipus Lomwai emerged as Kenya’s lone medal winner, securing third place in the men’s race with 2:05:06—a strong bounce-back performance after his disappointing sixth-place finish at the Prague Half Marathon on 28 March, where he clocked 59:44 [2]. Leonard Langat narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in 2:05:48, whilst veterans Benard Biwott and Justus Kangogo completed Kenya’s top finishers in ninth (2:07:34) and tenth (2:07:42) positions respectively [2]. In the women’s race, Leah Cheruto finished fourth in 2:24:31, whilst 46-year-old veteran star Edna Kiplagat demonstrated remarkable longevity by placing fifth in 2:25:44 [2].
Continental Unity and Future Aspirations
The race showcased the deep respect and unity within African distance running, exemplified by winner Mohamed Esa’s tribute to Kipchoge: ‘Eliud is my role model. I love and respect him so much. I was very proud to race with him in Africa, in our homeland. I was very happy to finish together and show the world we are the same family’ [1]. Kipchoge’s participation significantly boosted Cape Town’s campaign to join the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors series, with the legend himself championing the cause: ‘I want to help grow this event to 60,000 participants and help it become a major. As an African, I’m rooting for it, I’m pushing for it. We don’t have a major marathon in Africa yet, but this is a growing continent, and it is our time as Africans to have Cape Town as one of the world’s majors’ [2]. Looking ahead, Kipchoge’s ambitious seven-continent quest continues with scheduled appearances at the Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil on 12 July 2026 and the Melbourne Marathon in Australia on 11 October 2026 [3], as he pursues his vision to ‘make this world a running world’ and inspire healthier living across the globe [1].