Photo finish victory in Seville

And with double protagonism among the 200 elite runners who took the start, as the victory in the 41st edition was decided in a sprint and after a photo finish between the Ethiopians Tola Shura Kitata and Abderehman Asrar Hiyrden, who crossed the finish line with a time of 2h03:59 and whose final positions the judges had to deliberate after falling on the finish line mat after their effort.

The final victory of Tola Shura Kitata, with visible results of the fall on his face and shoulders, serves to extend the list of victories of the former champion of the London Marathon in 2020, in addition to the Rome and Frankfurt races, who has achieved his personal best in the Andalusian capital, in the same way as the second classified, Abderehman Asrar Hiyrden, who won in Seville in 2022 with 2:04:43 (record of the race at that time). And so did the Ethiopian Bikila Dejene Hailu, who in the last kilometres broke away from the leading group, formed by 18 units in the 10K and with 5 components up to 35th, to complete the men’s absolute podium with 2:04:15.

With a total of 23 athletes running under 2 hours and 10 minutes, the first place among the Spaniards went to Ilias Fifa, thirteenth with a time of 2h08:36. Behind him, 22nd with 2h09:55 was Chakib Lachgar, while the debutant Alex García Carrillo, world trail medallist, was the third of the Spanish representatives with 2h12.10.

On the other hand, the Indonesian Robi Syianturi has achieved a new national record with 2:13:18 that has placed him in 40th position.

Among the women, with 14 runners under 2 hours and 28 minutes, the victory went to Finland’s Alisa Vainio, who went from strength to strength in the last kilometres, overcoming the African “Armada”, far from the Seville record (2h18:53) from kilometre 15, to win with a time of 2h20.39, a new record for her country, which she herself held with 2h20.48.

The Nordic runner, fifth at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, has won the Andalusian event once again for an European representative since the Spanish Paula González Berodia did it in 2017.

Behind her, the women’s podium was completed by Kenyan Beatrice Jepchichir (2h21.56) and Ethiopian debutant Mulat Tekle (2h22.03), who after leading the race until kilometre 35 ended up paying for the effort.

Italy’s Elisa Palmero, a debutant with a brilliant 2:24.10, was fourth, just ahead of the first Spaniard, Andalusia’s Fátima Ouhaddou. The reigning European champion, who rubbed shoulders with the contenders for the victory for 15 kilometres, finished in 2h24.16.