Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga and Dawit Wolde will defend their titles at the C&D Xiamen Marathon 2026 on Sunday, January 11. The race marks the first World Athletics Platinum Label road race of 2025.
Ruti Aga Victorious Run Last Year
Aga won last year’s race in 2:18:46, setting a course record. She faces a strong challenge from compatriot Megertu Alemu, who leads the women’s field with a personal best of 2:16:34 from London in 2024. Aga’s personal best of 2:18:09 ranks as the second-fastest women’s time ever run in China. The 31-year-old has finished under 2:19 four times in her career, including a 2:18:34 runner-up finish at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. She won the Tokyo Marathon in 2019 and claimed victory in Hangzhou last November.
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Alemu has broken 2:19 seven times. She finished fourth in London, won Valencia in 2:16:49, and placed second in Chicago in 2:17:18, all in 2024. Other contenders include Ethiopia’s Meseret Abebayehu, who won Xiamen in 2023, and Fikrte Wereta, who placed third last year and won Seoul in 2:21:32. Kenya’s Helah Jelagat Kiprop, the 2015 world silver medalist, brings a personal best of 2:21:27.
Wolde set a course record of 2:06:06 last year and leads the men’s field with his personal best of 2:03:48 from Valencia in 2023. He finished second in Shanghai last November in 2:06:27. His main challengers include Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros, who ran 2:04:35 at the Berlin Marathon in 2024, and Asefa Mengstu, who clocked 2:04:06 in Dubai in 2018.
Ethiopia’s 21-year-old Addisu Gobena, nephew of Aga, enters with a personal best of 2:05:01 from his marathon debut in Dubai. Kenya’s Enock Onchari ran 2:05:20 in Barcelona last year, while Eritrea’s Ablelom Maryo finished fifth in Xiamen in 2:07:05.
Xiamen Marathon 2026 Elite Fields
Women’s Elite Field
- Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:34
- Ruti Aga (ETH) 2:18:09
- Meseret Abebayehu (ETH) 2:19:50
- Helah Jelagat Kiprop (KEN) 2:21:27
- Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:21:32
- Stacey Chepkemboi Ndiwa (KEN) 2:23:42
- Mercy Kwambai (KEN) 2:23:58
- Bai Li (CHN) 2:26:33
- Xu Bingjie (CHN) 2:27:11
- Lu Ying (CHN) 2:27:30
Men’s Elite Field
- Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48
- Asefa Mengstu (ETH) 2:04:06
- Hailemaryam Kiros (ETH) 2:04:35
- Addisu Gobena (ETH) 2:05:01
- Enock Onchari (KEN) 2:05:20
- Ablelom Maryo (ERI) 2:07:05
- Boaz Kipkemei (KEN) 2:07:06
- Yang Shaohui (CHN) 2:07:09
