Running News Daily

Kenya produced a spectacular double triumph at the 2026 Buenos Aires Marathon on Sunday, September 20, dominating both the men’s and women’s races as Bethwel Kibet Chumba claimed the men’s title and Rebecca Kangogo Chesir shattered the women’s course record.

On the men’s side, Chumba delivered a commanding performance to conquer the streets of Argentina, crossing the finish line in 2:08:28 and securing a memorable victory on the home turf of football legend Diego Armando Maradona.

The race unfolded under challenging conditions, with temperatures around 18°C and humidity approaching 90 percent placing considerable demands on the runners throughout the 42.195-kilometre course.

Earlier in the race, a fierce lead group featuring four Kenyans and one Rwandan pushed the pace aggressively, reaching halfway in a remarkable 1:02:48. At that point, the pace appeared fast enough to threaten the 2:05:00 course record, but the demanding second half would prove considerably more difficult.

As the kilometres passed and the humid conditions began to take their toll, Chumba maintained his strength and composure to emerge as the strongest runner in the closing stages. He eventually secured the victory in 2:08:28.

Rwanda’s John Hakizimana produced an outstanding performance to finish second in 2:08:39, just 11 seconds behind Chumba, while Kenya’s Felix Kiptoo Kirwa completed the men’s podium in 2:10:24.

Kipkemo Kiprono followed in fourth in 2:10:49, with Vincent Kibor Raimoi fifth in 2:11:50. Ethiopia’s Embay Goitom Dimtsu finished sixth in 2:12:28, while Chile’s Ricardo Rojas was seventh in 2:14:47.

Colombia’s David Gómez González placed eighth in 2:15:23, followed by Argentina’s Ignacio Erario in 2:16:42 and compatriot Ignacio Reyes, who completed the men’s top 10 in 2:21:46.

The women’s race provided another remarkable Kenyan celebration, with Rebecca Kangogo Chesir leading a clean sweep of the podium while producing the performance of the day with a new course record of 2:23:36.

Kangogo Chesir controlled the women’s race through the streets of Buenos Aires to claim victory and rewrite the course record. Her winning time was 1 minute and 16 seconds faster than the previous mark of 2:24:52, set by fellow Kenyan Rodah Jepkorir Tanui in 2023.

The victory also represented a major personal breakthrough for Kangogo Chesir. Entering the race with a personal best of 2:24:25, she improved substantially to 2:23:36, breaking the 2:24 barrier for the first time in her career.

Behind her, Tanui produced another strong performance to finish second in 2:24:49, while Emmah Cheruto Ndiwa completed the all-Kenyan podium in 2:26:55, giving Kenya gold, silver and bronze in the women’s race.

The result was particularly significant for Tanui, who returned to the Buenos Aires podium after winning the race in 2023. Her runner-up performance in 2026 was also faster than the 2:24:52 winning time she recorded three years earlier.

Ethiopia’s Sintayehu Hailemichael finished fourth in 2:29:53, followed by compatriot Agere Tamir in 2:30:19. Lomi Muleta Tefera, also from Ethiopia, placed sixth in 2:32:15.

Argentina’s Chiara Mainetti was the leading home runner in seventh place with 2:38:25. Anahi Castaño followed in 2:44:21, while Mercedes Piredda finished ninth in 2:48:11. Laura Ortegon completed the women’s top 10 in 2:50:32.

The demanding weather conditions added another layer of difficulty to both races, with the warm temperatures and exceptionally high humidity testing the endurance of the international field over the full marathon distance.

For Kenya, Buenos Aires became a celebration of distance-running strength, with Chumba taking the men’s title in 2:08:28 and Kangogo Chesir breaking the women’s course record in 2:23:36. The women’s podium sweep added another highlight, as Kenya once again demonstrated its depth on the international marathon stage.