It can’t be a coincidence that out of all the marathons in the world, 14 of the 86 male elite entries and 7 of the 35 female entries set their personal bests in Sevilla. That tells you something. In particular, that this is one very fast course. Which, after the event that was the Valencia 10km earlier this year, is beginning to seem like a Spanish speciality. It also, quite literally, can’t hurt that the course itself never rises more than 10m above sea level. When you look at the likes of Boston coming up on the calendar, that is one big relief for marathon runners. Needless to say, the Sevilla Marathon has a lot to brag about. And this year’s results only added more fuel to that fire. So much so that it quite literally, had people falling over in excitement.
In a race that’s over 2 hours long, you’d expect to have no problems determining the winner. After all, that’s a long period of time over which to spread out, overtake, break away, or, likely for many, tire. That was until last year, at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The men’s marathon recorded the smallest winning margin in history: 0.03 seconds. So tight that photo finish had to be called in to decide the champion. For the record, the winning margin in the Tokyo men’s 100m? 0.05. Bigger. And in a sprint race, where dipping at the line actually figures into your overall technique. So Tokyo was a lifetime first for the marathon, but as it turns out, not a once-in-a-lifetime for any of us.
It’s ironic, because despite how it ended, the eventual winner was in fact the same man who had been leading the front pack almost the entire way. Shura Kitata Tola. 5 time major marathon podium finisher, including a most recent win at the 2020 London Marathon. Only there was a hidden threat in and amongst that pack. Lying in wait in 6th position at 20km, Asrar Hiyrden was ready to complicate that win for Tola beyond imagination. Over the next half of the race, he slowly crept his way up the positions. By 40km, he was up in 3rd and ready to strike.
By this point Shura Kitata was joined at the front by Dejene Hailu who looked to have a slight edge over him, with both glancing at their watches, likely willing the finish line closer. Behind them lurked, of course, the figure of Asrar Hiyrden, who as we know by now had a lot of energy left in him. But it was Shura Kitata who moved first. He appeared to be tiring but far from it, as he burst away from both Hailu and Hiyrden, gaining a lead of a few metres. Asrar Hiyrden made the smart move of not closing the gap, but not letting it widen either, until the final straight where all that energy he’d been conserving was let out, and he began his charge to the finish.
Only Shura Kitata’s initial surge wasn’t just a sudden burst: there was more where that came from. He wasn’t willing to let that lead he’d been holding onto for almost 42km, be snatched at the last minute. His was a look of determination, Hiyrden’s was one of desperation. And that is what sent them both crashing over the finish line in exactly 2:03:59, just short of the course record of 2:03:27 set in 2024.
Two equal finishing times, two new equal personal bests, but two, and most crucially, different finishing positions. Now might be a good time to incorporate the dive into marathon training before the next Sevilla Marathon comes around.
Over in the women’s race the finish wasn’t quite as dramatic, but it was just as, if not more, historic.
The race started off in a similar fashion, only this time it was the chasers who ended up with first and second, and the initial race leader, third. And that leader, Mulak Tekle, was more than slightly ahead. So ahead that the eventual winner, Alisa Vainio of Finland, can’t even be said to have been in strong contention until over halfway through. By 30km, Mulak Tekle still had a strong lead, Beatrice Jepchirchir Cheserek had climbed to 5th, and Alisa Vainio was sat in 3rd, 46 seconds from the front of the pack. Fast forward to 40km, and she was leading, with absolutely no one else in sight.
If you think about it, the way Alisa Vainio won was fitting. The last time a European woman won the Sevilla marathon was in 2017: 9 years ago. It had been a long time coming, just like her gradual rise to the front of the pack. That patience was rewarded with a new Finnish record of 2:20:39, and, in stark contrast to the men’s race, an over 1 minute winning margin. Beatrice Jepchichir Cheserek regained her strength to come back in the latter stages, overtaking Mulak Tekle to come through for a strong second place.
The women’s finish may not have mirrored that of the men’s race, but the results did: each person on the podium ran quicker than they ever had before. Like I said, this is one very fast course. Maybe not all roads, but definitely a lot of personal bests, lead to the Sevilla Marathon.
Rosana is our social media manager intern, specialising in track and road racing. Having previously competed in the 200m and 400m, she keeps up her love for speed endurance with regular track sessions and interval runs. As well as running herself, Rosana is also an avid athletics fan, from volunteering at major track meets to officiating local competitions back in England.
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