Running News Daily

The streets of southern Spain witnessed a thrilling morning of elite road racing as the TotalEnergies Media Maratón Ciudad de Málaga delivered another spectacular edition, reaffirming its reputation as one of Europe’s fastest and most competitive half marathons.

Under near-perfect racing conditions in the vibrant coastal city of Málaga, top international athletes produced remarkable performances, highlighted by a commanding victory in the men’s race and a historic national record in the women’s competition.

Kenya’s Vincent Kipkorir emerged as the dominant force in the men’s race, surging away from the field to secure victory in an impressive 59:30. Demonstrating both patience and strength, Kipkorir controlled the latter stages of the race, crossing the finish line comfortably ahead of his challengers.

Compatriot Shadrack Musyoka claimed second place after a solid run that saw him stop the clock at 1:00:16, while fellow Kenyan Mathew Kipruto completed the podium in 1:01:29, underlining Kenya’s continued dominance in global road racing.

The women’s race was equally captivating, featuring a fierce contest that produced one of the most memorable performances of the event. Uganda’s Esther Chebet delivered a superb run to claim victory in 1:06:33, holding off strong international competition to take the top spot.

Just seconds behind her was Slovenia’s rising star Klara Lukan, who finished second in 1:06:43. Despite narrowly missing the win, Lukan achieved a remarkable milestone by setting a new Slovenian national record, while also recording a personal best—an achievement that marks a significant moment in her career and in Slovenian distance running.

Kenya’s Winnie Jepkosgei rounded out the women’s podium with a strong performance, finishing third in 1:08:02.

Known for its fast, flat course and ideal racing atmosphere, the Málaga Half Marathon continues to attract elite athletes eager to chase quick times. This year’s edition once again delivered high-level competition and unforgettable performances, proving why the race has earned its place among Europe’s premier road running events.

With commanding victories, a national record, and impressive depth across both fields, the 2026 TotalEnergies Media Maratón Ciudad de Málaga added another brilliant chapter to its growing legacy on the international road racing calendar.

South Africa’s Kabelo Mulaudzi lived up to his nickname “Mr. Podium” on Sunday with a commanding win at the Absa Run Your City 10km in Durban, securing back-to-back victories at the event and solidifying his place as one of the country’s premier road runners.

The 28-year-old Boxer Running Club athlete crossed the finish line in a blazing 27:41, just three seconds shy of the South African national 10K record (27:38) set by Adrian Wildschutt earlier this year. Despite narrowly missing the mark, Mulaudzi walked away with a R30,000 winner’s prize and an R80,000 time bonus for finishing under 27:45, bringing his total payday to R110,000—approximately $6,000 USD.

The female race 

In the women’s race, Glenrose Xaba delivered a standout performance to take the win in 31:57, dominating the field and finishing well ahead of her closest rivals. The South African distance star, representing Boxer Athletics Club, showed poise and strength throughout the race, navigating the humid conditions and technical course with control. Xaba’s victory reaffirms her status as one of the country’s top road runners, and she earned R30,000 (approximately $1,650 USD) for her efforts. With her sights set on further success this season, Xaba looks poised for more strong showings on the national circuit.

Podium Finishers and Record Chases

Mulaudzi led a competitive field through Durban’s beachfront course, holding off Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo, who finished second in a national record time of 27:47. Pre-race favorite Vincent Kipkorir of Kenya was close behind, rounding out the podium in 27:48.

While Mulaudzi had his sights set on Wildschutt’s national record, course changes and pacing in the early kilometers may have held him back.

“Durban is my favorite course, and had we gone out faster in the first 5K, I believe I could have broken the record,” Mulaudzi said. “I wasn’t desperate—I just truly believed I had it in me.”

Personal Best and National Momentum

The victory marked a personal best for Mulaudzi, who has now won six races in the Run Your City 10km series since 2023, all while clocking consistent sub-28-minute performances. After battling injuries last season, the Alexandra-based runner has returned with renewed form and focus.

“Last year was tough with injuries, but I’ve bounced back strongly,” he said. “I need to improve my finishing, but this is one of my fastest races yet.”

He credited his coach, Richard Meyer, with guiding his resurgence through carefully structured training and race planning.

Rivalries and Respect

The race also deepened Mulaudzi’s friendly rivalry with Mofolo.

“Our rivalry began in Tshwane when he beat me, but I’ve now managed to beat him twice in a row,” Mulaudzi noted with a grin. “I’m happy for him setting a national record. He pushed me today.”

With momentum clearly on his side, Mulaudzi is targeting a clean sweep of the Absa series. His upcoming schedule includes the Central Gauteng Athletics Provincial 10km Championships, followed by the Run Your City 10km and the Durban Hollywood 10km in Tshwane this August.

“My goal is to win the remaining Absa races and stay healthy and injury-free,” he said.

If his current form holds, it may only be a matter of time before “Mr. Podium” becomes “Mr. Record” as well.

For the second time in a row, Kenyan runner Geoffrey Toroitich clinched victory at the TotalEnergies Malaga Half Marathon which took place on Sunday. This time, however, he clocked exactly one minute more (1h.00:13, compared to 59:13) than his record in the event.

Despite favorable conditions (no rain, minimal wind and an optimal starting temperature of 12 degrees Celsius), Toroitich fell short of his previous performance as his pace fluctuated, slowing down slightly as the race progressed. Despite this, he, nonetheless, pulled ahead solo by the eighth kilometer.

Toroitich finished more than two minutes ahead of Vincent Kipkorir in second (1h.02:30), followed by Barnabas Kipkoech (1h.02:32). The top European finisher was Jonas Glans (1h.02:44), while the top Spaniard, Daniel Gracia, secured eleventh spot (1h.08:51).

Local athlete Ignacio González finished with a time of 1h.09:33, using the race as part of his triathlon training.

New women's record

The highlight of the event was the women's race, with Loice Chemnung smashing the previous record with a remarkable time of 1h.05:58, placing seventh overall.

Winfridah Moraa followed closely with a time of 1h.05:59. Both runners broke the previous record by over a minute and a half.

Chemnung, known for her impressive 10,000-meter record of 30:08, made her half marathon debut, while Moraa surpassed her personal best of 1h.06:40.

Despite their efforts, Fatima Azzahraa from Cordoba failed to break the Spanish half marathon record, finishing at 1h.11:32. Nonetheless, Malaga now ranks as the third fastest city in Spain for half marathons, with Sunday's women's record-setting performance solidifying its place among the top fifteen fastest cities globally.

The race course, starting from Ciudad de Málaga athletics stadium on the western side of the side and ending at the eastern coastline with minimal elevation changes, provides ideal conditions for achieving fast times.

Prize money totaling 1,500 euros was awarded to both the male and female winners, with an additional 1,000-euro incentive for breaking the race record, which Chemnung accomplished in the women's category.

With over 5,000 participants this year, similar to the previous edition, the event marked another success, especially considering the shorter interval between races.

Fresh from finishing second at the Buenos Aires Marathon on Sunday in Argentina, former world marathon bronze medalist Sharon Chemutai Cherop wants Athletics Kenya to give her a chance to represent the country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

The former Boston Marathon champion said she has had a good season and the Buenos Aires race was her last assignment this year. 

Cherop finished second in 2:24.56 behind compatriot Rhoda Jepkorir Tanui, who won the race in a course record of (2:24.52). Pamela Rotich came third in an all-Kenyan podium sweep.

Cherop said she hopes to fly the country's flag high if offered the Paris 2024 slot.

“I am proud of my country. I have always wanted to represent my country since I was a junior athlete and if offered the opportunity to run at the Olympic Games, I will do my level best to make the country proud,” said Cherop.

Cherop said she had a good outing in Argentina and was happy to have redeemed her image following her performance in the half marathon last month in the South American nation.

“I have closed a season on a good note after running many races this year. I really need to rest until next year and set up good plans for the year. But the best of all would be to represent my country at the Olympics,” she added.

She said she has been in the game for more than 20 years and first represented Kenyan at the 1999 All Africa Games, finishing 4th in the 10,000m.

“I have been running since 1999 and I won my first medal at the 2000 World Youth Championships in 5,000m. That is how long I have been in this game,” she said.

She said she had wanted to run her best race in a bid to improve on her time in Bueno Aires but as much as that was not achieved, the second position was good enough.

The 2012 Boston Marathon champion said she prepared well for the race. 

“I started preparing for this race after winning the Milan marathon. This year alone, I have run two marathons and a number of half marathons,” she added.

Cherop won the Milan Marathon after timing 2:26.13 back in April after recovering from an injury.

In Milan, she edged out Ethiopian Ethlemahu Sintayehu (2:26.30) and compatriot Emily Kipchumba Chebet for third position after timing 2:28.08.

She is also remembered for winning a bronze at the 2011 World Athletics Championships behind the champion Edna Kiplagat and Priscah Jeptoo in an all-Kenya podium sweep.

She went ahead to win the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and finished third at the 2011 Boston Marathon before winning the race the following year.

In men, Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat (2:08.29) led his compatriot Paul Tanui (2:09.57) and Robert Kimutai Ng’eno (2:10.16) in a 1-2-3 podium sweep for team Kenya.

In other races over the weekend, Charles Mbatha Matata won the Leo Lion Half Marathon in France. The Kenyan won the men’s title in 1:01.34 followed by countrymate Vincent Kipkorir Kigen (1:02.21) and Ethiopian Getachew Masresha Kidie (1:02.23).