MALAGA, Spain (March 16) – Uganda’s Esther Chebet and Kenya’s Vincent Kipkorir both chopped sizeable chunks off their personal bests to take the women’s and men’s titles at the 35th TotalEnergies Medio Maraton Ciudad de Malaga on Sunday (15), a World Athletics Label Road Race fixture that accommodated several personal bests and even a national record.
Esther Chebet – The Women’s Champion
Chebet, a team bronze medalist in the women’s race at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, controlled the women’s contest before pulling clear in the closing kilometres to win in 1:06:33, improving on the 1:08:13 she ran for second place in Santa Pola earlier this year. The 28-year-old collected EUR 2500 for the victory on the certified 21.1km circuit that threaded through the streets and seafront of the Andalusian city.
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Slovenia’s Klara Lukan, the 2025 European 10km road bronze medalist, followed Chebet home in 1:06:43, a national record that sliced more than a minute off the 1:08:04 mark she set in Valencia last year and earned her EUR 1500. Kenya’s Winnie Jepkosgei Kimutai completed the podium in 1:08:02, with compatriot Abigael Chepkoech clocking a personal best of 1:08:55 for fourth, while Spain’s Marta Galimany delighted home fans in fifth, running a lifetime best of 1:09:22 and securing a citizens’ award bonus.
Victory For Vincent Kipkorir
Kenya’s Kipkorir won the men’s race in 59:30, dipping under 60 minutes for the first time in his career and finishing just 17 seconds shy of Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba’s course record of 59:13 from 2023. The Winner also pocketed EUR 2500.
Compatriot Shadrack Ngumbau came through for second in another personal best of 1:00:16, worth EUR 1500, with Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto making it a Kenyan sweep of the men’s podium as he ran 1:01:29 for third. Daniel Kosen was fourth in 1:01:30 to complete a dominant showing by the East African nation, ahead of Ethiopia’s Kuma Dejene in 1:04:15 and Athletes Refugee Team runner Kiruhura Emmanuel Ntagunga, who recorded 1:06:00.
According to Race Results Weekly, organisers reported 6033 male finishers and 3459 female finishers for a total of 9492, an increase on the previous edition, with runners from dozens of countries taking in a route that started and finished on the Paseo del Parque and wound along Malaga’s port and coastal avenues.
All times are gun times.
Women – 21.1 km
- Esther Chebet (UGA), 1:06:33 PB
- Klara Lukan (SLO), 1:06:43 NR
- Winnie Jepkosgei Kimutai (KEN), 1:08:02
- Abigael Chepkoech (KEN), 1:08:55 PB
- Marta Galimany (ESP), 1:09:22 PB
- Poppy Tank (GBR), 1:11:18 PB
- Salome Brun (FRA), 1:12:29
- Maria Ureña (ESP), 1:14:29
- Ariadna Fenes (AND), 1:15:46 NR
- Johanna Bäcklund (SWE), 1:15:56
- Eva Serena (ITA), 1:17:52
Men – 21.1 km
- Vincent Kipkorir (KEN), 59:30 PB
- Shadrack Ngumbau (KEN), 1:00:16 PB
- Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto (KEN), 1:01:29 PB
- Daniel Kosen (KEN), 1:01:30 PB
- Kuma Dejene (ETH), 1:04:15
- Kiruhura Emmanuel Ntagunga (ART), 1:06:00
Race Results Weekly Note: Klara Lukan improved her PB by 1:21 with her NR. Course records: Men 59:13 Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) 2023; Women 1:05:46 Loice Chemnung (KEN) 2025.
