Tesfaye Deriba and Sharon Chelimo set new records at the Zurich Marató Barcelona 2025

– The Ethiopian athlete managed to lower the 2024 record on the optimized course, which was first run last year, by 48 seconds (02:04:13h).

– For her part, the Kenyan athlete won the women’s category with a time of 02:19:33h, setting a new course record 11 seconds faster.

– Thousands of participants have taken part in the great athletics party in Barcelona, also with a record of female participation, with more than 6,500 marathon runners that have made that one out of four participants was a woman and a record of international participants, being 60% of the total number of participants.

This Sunday, the 46th Zurich Marató Barcelona made history, being the edition with the most participants, hosting the Spanish and Catalan Marathon Championships and setting new course records for both men and women. With a temperature of 10°C at 8:30 in the morning (race start time), a humidity of 58% and a cloudy sky on a day with ideal weather conditions for running. With 27,000 race bibs sold and beating its own participation record, in force until 2025 since 2016, thousands of runners took the start on Paseo de Gracia.

The race, organised by the Barcelona City Council and RPM Sports, in addition to setting a record participation this year, has also set new records in female participation (25%) with more than 6,500 marathoners, which means that one in four participants has been a woman and 60% of international runners, from up to 109 different nationalities. The city of Barcelona was also involved in the event, cheering on the participants at the 34 cheering points along the more than 42 kilometres of this fast and monumental circuit.

Six records in six years 
For the fifth consecutive year, the men’s record of the Zurich Marató Barcelona, one of the fastest marathons in Spain and Europe, has been broken. In the men’s category, the Ethiopian athlete Tesfaye Deriba has set a new best time of this circuit (02:04:13h), leading the race in solitary from the 36th kilometre and reducing the 2024 time set by the Eritrean-Swiss Abraham Tadesse -present today in the race- in 48 seconds (02:05:01h). In second place was the Kenyan Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat (02:04:54h), also lowering the previous record by 7 seconds. His compatriot Enock Onchari (02:05:20h) completed the men’s absolute podium.

Tesfaye Deriba: ‘I am very happy because today I achieved my goal. To win in Barcelona and set a new course record>>.

In the women’s category, Kenyan Sharon Chelimo crossed the finish line in 02:19:33h, setting a new course record, 11 seconds faster than the one set in 2023 by Ethiopian athlete Zeineba Yimer Worku (02:19:44h). Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese crossed the finish line in second place (02:20:47h) and Kenya’s Linet Masai was third (02:21:01h). In addition, France’s Mekdes Woldu, fifth overall in the women’s race, set a new national record (02:23:13h).

Sharon Chelimo: <<I wasn’t expecting the record. I wanted to beat my personal best, but I felt really good and I did even better in the end>>.

The 87th Spanish Marathon Championships and 47th Catalan Marathon Championships were held this Sunday at the 46th Zurich Marató Barcelona. In the Spanish Championships, Hamid Ben Daoud (02:06:49h) won in the absolute male category and María Lázaro (02:38:37h) in the absolute female category, both Spanish and Catalan, while in the Catalan competition Josep María Arnal (02:20:34h) was the first in the absolute male category.

Barcelona has experienced the unique feeling of the Zurich Marató Barcelona
From the political sphere, the Zurich Marató Barcelona 2025 has counted on the participation of Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, who has commented on the circuit that ‘the organisation is excellent, that’s why they have managed to beat the record of participation and course. The Zurich Marató Barcelona has positioned itself very well internationally, with a marvellous route’. Likewise, the Zurich Marató Barcelona 2025’s most charitable aspect has come from the Zurich Foundation, which has donated 1 euro for each finisher. Finally, the total amount raised was 20,300 euros and it will be donated to Arte Paliativo.

Throughout the weekend both athletes and citizens enjoyed a real sports party in Barcelona: on Thursday 13 March, Friday 14 March and Saturday 15 March the atmosphere was already heating up with the Expo Sports (Runner’s Fair), which attracted approximately 100,000 visitors and where a Pizza Party was held on Saturday from 1pm to 3pm. Also, on Saturday 15th March, the Bimbo Breakfast Run Barcelona (2,500 participants) and the Kids Race (more than 800 participants) were held as activations prior to the great marathon of the Catalan capital.