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Firenze Marathon 2024: Top runners

Florence - Writing one's name in the roll of honour of a noble event and doing it on the occasion of the 40th birthday, the challenge of the 40^ Estra Firenze Marathon is therefore even more electrifying and the task of making it so is entrusted to twelve men and eight women.

Top runners – Men

Five from Kenya and Italy, one from France and Burundi to beat the record to be beaten currently in the legs of the Kenyan James Kipkogei Kutto who in 2006 crossed the finish line in 2h08'40". The Kenyan Dikson Simba Naykundi (Caivano Runners) could succeed in his debut on the queen distance. Dikson Nyakundi brings with him the excellent record of 60'39" on the half marathon distance that earned him victory in Treviso in 2022 and has racked up several podiums in Italy, as stated in his curriculum in which we find, among others, the victories in Cremona in 2021 and at the last edition of the Neapolis Half Marathon.

In the race, however, there are those who already have experience on the queen distance and will try to have their say having already run below the record of the event. This is the Kenyan Edwin Kimutai Kiplagat who with 2h08'21", detached in Geneva in 2021, could captain the leading group.

Just over a minute away, the winner of the last edition of the Neapolis Marathon, the Kenyan Samuel Naibei Kiplimo who has already stopped the clock of the 2022 Run Rome The Marathon at 2h09'41", when he conquered the seventh position overall. Behind him is the first on the home list, the Moroccan with an Italian passport Hicham Boufars (Asd International Security) who participated in Florence in 2019 (third overall with 2h13'29"), in 2018 with a personal best (second overall with 2h12'16"), 2015 (2h13'36") and 2014 (2h17'12"), followed by the Kenyan Hyllry Chemweno who this year snatched the personal best of 2h13'28" by winning the Skopje marathon (Macedonia).

A little further behind is Lhoussaine Oukhrid (ASD AT Running) with a personal best of 2h16'25" followed by the Algerian with a French passport Menad Lamrani, last year at the personal best of 2h16'45" at the Rennes marathon (France).

At the start, with the task of acting as a hare, the Kenyan Simon Dudi Ekidor who brings the time of 2h18'58" from the 2019 Nairobi marathon.

Closing the ranks are three Italian regulars of this event, the Moroccan Khalid Jbari (Athl. Club 96 Alperia), capable of 2h21'32", his personal best, in 2022 and Andrea Soffientini (Dinamo Running), for him already three medals in the Firenze Marathon, in 2022 (2h26'36"), in 2021 (2h22'29") and in 2021 (2h26'36") and Kabir Hicham (Pol Moving SSD ARL) who in Florence conquered his best time with 2h22'44" last year, when he showed up sixth at the finish line, improving on the 12^ position of 2021 (2h27'24").

Burundian Jean Marie Bukuru makes his debut with the record of 63'03" in his legs at the 2023 Arezzo half marathon.

Top runners – Women

Five from Kenya, two national standard-bearers and one from Morocco for the glory of the 40^ Estra Firenze Marathon, although, barring surprises, it does not seem that the women's record of the route that belongs to the Olympic Lonah Chemtai Salpeter can waver, in 2018 she had lowered it by four minutes compared to the previous one bringing it to 2h 24'17".

On paper, the victory goes to the Kenyan Vivian Cherotich to whom the Italian roads bring luck, as told by the record with victory conquered at the last edition of the Romeo & Giulietta Half Marathon with a time of 1h09'18" which is on a par with the victory of the last marathon in Eindhoven (Netherlands) when she set her personal best of 2h26'41". Watch out for the Moroccan Souad Kabouchia who here in Florence, in 2021, has already taken fourth place running in 2h27'49", a handful of seconds from the personal best that gave her the victory of the last marathon in Enschede, which ended in 2h27'16".

Three minutes behind her it is possible to see the stride of her compatriot Dorine Cherop Murkomen who this year in Seville set her best time with 2h29'39".

The breath on the neck is of the Kenyan Teresiah Kwaboka Omosa (Caivano Runners) who has racked up several victories, including the half marathons of Udine (2021), Wachau (2022) and Nancy (2024) as well as that of the Salzburg marathon in 2018. For her, the record on the queen distance is from 2021 when in Fürstenfeld (Austria) she stopped the clock at 2h30'12".

A little more detached is the Kenyan Hellen Chepkorir who brings 2h34'16" scored in Kosice (Slovakia) in 2017. In the group of pursuers the Kenyan Lucy Chepoghon Chelele who boasts the time of 2h38'12" a few weeks ago in Nairobi, the blue of Kenyan origin Maria Gorette Subano (Cus Pro Patria Milano), last year able to snatch the bronze medal of the 39^ Firenze Marathon and recently improved at the Berlin marathon (Germany) where she finished her efforts in 2h38'45". For Italy also her teammate Sarah Giomi with the time of 2h40'22" set in Amsterdam in 2018.

Hall of Fame

The ranking by nations still sees the colors of Italy in the lead with 22 victories (11 among men and 11 among women), followed by Kenya with 16 successes (12/4), then Ethiopia which with 15 victories (7/8) extends its lead over Great Britain with 9 victories (3/6); then at 2 there are Bahrain (2/0) and Hungary (0/2). Austria (0/1), Belgium (0/1), Brazil (1/0), Israel (0/1), Yugoslavia (1/0), Morocco (1/0), Norway (0/1), Czech Republic (0/1), Russia (0/1), Rwanda (0/1), Slovenia (0/1) and Ukraine (1/0) all have one win each. There are 18 nations that can boast at least one victory in the roll of honour.

Victories of 9 different nations among men and 13 different nations among women. Men: Kenya 12, Italy 11, Ethiopia 7, Great Britain 3, Bahrain 2. Brazil, Yugoslavia, Morocco and Ukraine: 1. Women: Italy 11, Ethiopia 8, Great Britain 6, Kenya 4, Hungary 2. Austria, Belgium, Israel, Norway, Czech Republic, Russia, Rwanda and Slovenia: 1.

The 2023 edition of the Florence Marathon brought the tricolor back to the men's podium with Said El Otmani (CS Army), in the women's victory of Clementine Mukandanga who signed the national record for Rwanda while the last Italian who had the national anthem sung is Giovanna Volpato who in 2008 cut the ribbon in 2h34'13".