Running News Daily

The women’s elite race at the 2026 Casablanca Half Marathon promises an exciting battle for supremacy on Sunday, October 25, as Kenya’s Regina Wambui Ndungu leads a competitive international field featuring Uganda’s Rispa Cherop and Morocco’s homegrown stars.

With a personal best of 1:07:10, Ndungu arrives as the fastest athlete listed in the women’s elite field, making her a leading contender for victory. However, the Kenyan will face a determined challenge from athletes eager to seize the spotlight on Moroccan soil, setting the stage for an intriguing contest over 21.0975 kilometres.

Ndungu’s credentials place her firmly among the favourites, but translating that status into victory will require a composed and tactically intelligent performance. The outcome could depend on how the leading contenders manage the pace, respond to changes in the race, and position themselves for the decisive kilometres.

Morocco’s Rahma Tahiri is expected to be among the principal challengers. With a personal best of 1:08:34, she possesses the speed to compete for the title and will have the added motivation of racing in front of the home crowd. A victory on familiar roads would be a significant achievement, and Tahiri will be eager to make the most of the opportunity.

Uganda’s Rispa Cherop also enters the contest with a strong performance record. Her personal best of 1:08:53 places her among the leading contenders, within striking distance of Tahiri and close enough to Ndungu to make the contest unpredictable. If she can remain in contact with the front-runners through the early stages, Cherop could emerge as a serious threat in the closing kilometres.

Beyond the leading trio, the field features several Moroccan athletes seeking to challenge the established favourites. Meryeme Azrour, with a personal best of 1:09:46, and Kaoutar Farkoussi, who has run 1:09:58, are both capable of adding depth to the contest. Fatima Aafir, listed at 1:10:54, will also be among the athletes looking to produce a competitive performance.

Other names on the entry list include Soukaina Elhaji (1:12:49), Hanane El Bajjaoui (1:14:13), Rababe Arafi (1:14:20), Jamila Ayachi (1:15:12), Liz Romo (1:14:59), Sakina El Adel (1:16:51) and Fatima Zahra Erregui (1:17:44).

With several athletes boasting personal bests below 1:10, the leading group could produce an aggressive race from the outset. However, the fastest personal best does not guarantee victory, and the ability to execute the right strategy on race day will ultimately determine who comes out on top.

The Casablanca Half Marathon will provide an important opportunity for the elite women to test themselves against international opposition while showcasing the depth of distance-running talent from Morocco and beyond.

For Ndungu, the objective will be to convert her position as the fastest entrant into a winning performance. For Tahiri, the challenge is to turn home advantage into a memorable triumph. Cherop, meanwhile, will be looking to upset the leading contenders and take the title back to Uganda.

With Kenyan ambition, Ugandan determination and Moroccan home-crowd support converging on the same course, the women’s elite contest promises to be one of the key attractions of the 2026 Casablanca Half Marathon.

Kenya’s Filex Kibet delivered a sensational performance at the 2026 Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon by Brooks, storming to victory in a remarkable 59:22 to establish a new men’s course record and headline an impressive display of distance running in the Italian capital.

The Kenyan produced a commanding performance over the 21.0975km distance, combining speed, endurance and tactical discipline to secure the prestigious title. His record-breaking achievement was the defining moment of an exciting competition that brought together some of the finest road-running talents from East Africa.

Kibet's winning time not only secured him a place in the event's history but also demonstrated his ability to compete at an exceptional level on the international road-running circuit. Breaking the one-hour barrier in a half marathon remains a significant benchmark in elite distance running, and his performance underlined the quality of the men's field.

Ethiopia's Selemon Atakiti Kidanu emerged as one of the standout performers of the day, producing an outstanding half-marathon debut to finish second in 59:38. Despite competing over the distance for the first time, the Ethiopian displayed remarkable composure and endurance, crossing the finish line just 16 seconds behind the eventual champion.

Kenya's Elisha Kiprop completed the men's podium after clocking 1:00:13, ensuring that two Kenyan athletes finished among the top three. His performance added further strength to Kenya's presence in a highly competitive race that saw the leading contenders produce impressive times on the streets of Rome.

While Kibet dominated the headlines in the men's competition, Ethiopia's Netsanet Desta delivered an equally impressive performance in the women's race, claiming victory in 1:07:26 to complete a memorable day of elite road racing.

Desta demonstrated exceptional consistency throughout the demanding half-marathon distance, maintaining the pace necessary to overcome a competitive field and secure the women's title. Her victory highlighted Ethiopia's continued strength in international distance running.

Kenya's Regina Wambui Ndungu mounted a strong challenge but ultimately settled for second place in 1:07:48, finishing 22 seconds behind the Ethiopian champion. Ndungu's performance ensured Kenya was represented on both the men's and women's podiums.

Ethiopia's Yalemget Yaregal rounded out the women's top three, crossing the finish line in 1:08:22 to complete an impressive Ethiopian showing in the women's competition.

The contrasting victories of Kibet and Desta provided the perfect storyline for an event that continues to attract accomplished distance runners to one of Europe's most historic cities. With athletes competing against the clock and one another, the race delivered both a new course record and an impressive collection of performances.

For Kibet, the achievement represents another significant milestone, with his name now attached to the men's course record. His 59:22 performance establishes a new standard for future competitors seeking success at the Rome Half Marathon.

Kidanu's impressive debut also offered a glimpse of his potential over the distance, while the strong performances of Kiprop, Ndungu and Yaregal further demonstrated the depth of talent competing at the event.

The 2026 edition will be remembered particularly for Kibet's record-breaking triumph, as the Kenyan's exceptional run added a new chapter to the race's history and reinforced Rome's growing reputation as a destination for elite international road racing.

With the men's course record rewritten and two deserving champions crowned, the Italian capital once again provided a memorable stage for some of the world's most accomplished distance-running talents.

Kenya produced a remarkable double victory at the 2026 Swedbank Tallinn Marathon Half Marathon in Estonia, with Vincent Kiptoo and Regina Wambui Ndungu claiming the men’s and women’s titles in record-breaking fashion.

Kiptoo delivered the headline performance of the morning, storming to victory in 59:48 to become the first athlete to run a half marathon in under one hour on Estonian soil. His performance also established a new Tallinn Half Marathon course record, marking a historic milestone for both the Kenyan and the race.

The Kenyan’s victory was backed by an impressive display of depth from his compatriots. Johana Erot finished second in 1:00:51, recording a personal best, while Enos Kipruto Saat completed the podium in 1:01:22. Kenya therefore swept all three men’s podium positions.

The fastest Estonian in the men’s race was Leonid Latsepov, who finished in 1:04:20, giving the home crowd another performance to celebrate despite the dominance of the Kenyan contingent.

The women’s race provided another Kenyan triumph, with Regina Wambui Ndungu producing a superb 1:07:35 to take the title and set a new Tallinn Half Marathon course record. Her performance completed a memorable Kenyan double on a morning when both winners rewrote the course records.

Winsam Jerono secured second place in 1:10:29, also improving her personal best, while Morocco’s Soukaina Atanane took third in 1:11:24. The fastest Estonian woman was Pille Hinn, who crossed the line in 1:23:02.

The men’s result was particularly striking, with Kenya occupying every place on the podium. Kiptoo’s historic sub-hour run was followed by Erot’s personal-best performance and Kipruto Saat’s strong third-place finish, underlining the depth of Kenyan talent over the half-marathon distance.

For Kiptoo, the 59:48 performance represents more than a race victory. Breaking the one-hour barrier in Estonia places his name in the history of the Tallinn Half Marathon and gives him a course record that will now become the benchmark for future editions of the race.

Ndungu’s victory added another layer to the Kenyan success. Her 1:07:35 not only secured the women’s title but also lowered the course record, meaning both elite races produced new standards on the same morning.

The scale of the event added to the occasion, with more than 5,000 runners taking on the 21.1-kilometre challenge. The streets of Tallinn were filled with runners of different levels, creating a vibrant backdrop for a morning that produced two Kenyan victories and two new course records.

The half marathon was only one part of a packed Tallinn running weekend. The 10K Tallinn Autumn Run was scheduled to follow at 14:00, with the Nike Youth Run later in the evening at 18:30, keeping the Estonian capital at the centre of the running action throughout Saturday.

The weekend will then reach its grand finale on Sunday morning with the Tallinn Marathon, scheduled for a 09:00 start. With thousands of runners continuing to take to the streets, the city’s celebration of distance running is set to continue.

For Kenya, however, the defining moment of the half marathon will remain Kiptoo’s historic 59:48. Alongside Ndungu’s course-record victory, it gave the country a spectacular start to the Tallinn Marathon weekend and etched another memorable chapter into Kenya’s remarkable road-running story.