Ethiopian runners crowned in Beijing Marathon, record number of participants break 3-hour barrier

A record over 4,700 runners completed the 2025 Beijing Marathon within three hours on Sunday, while Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Anchinalu DessieGenaneh won the men’s and the women’s events respectively.

Hayle clocked 2 hours, 8 minutes and 10 seconds to defend his title, which was more than one minute faster than his last year’s performance..

His compatriot Desalegn Girma Debel finished second, followed by DPR Korea’s Han Il Ryong in third.

In the women’s event, Genaneh registered 2 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds to secure victory, just 7 seconds ahead of runner-up Marion Jepkonga Kibor of Kenya, while another Ethiopian runner Kuftu Tahir Dadisoplaced third.

Featuring a record 32,000 participants this year, the Beijing Marathon, spanning from Tiananmen Square to the Beijing Olympic Park, provided more opportunities for runners to show themselves in the dual Olympic city.

According to the organizers, over 4,700 runners finished the 42.195-kilometer race within three hours, which broke the record of 3,004 set last year.

First-placed Anchinalu Dessie Genaneh (C) of Ethiopia poses with second-placed Marion Jepkonga Kibor (L) of Kenya and third-placed Kuftu Tahir Dadiso of Ethiopia during the awarding ceremony for the women’s marathon event at the Beijing Marathon 2025 in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Han).

First-placed Lemi Berhanu Hayle (C) of Ethiopia poses with second-placed Desalegn Girma Debel (L) of Ethiopia and third-placed Han Il Ryong of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) during the awarding ceremony for the men’s marathon event at the Beijing Marathon 2025 in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Han)