Tough challenge for defending champions Mayaka and Ndiwa in Cali Marathon
“Run in Heaven’s Capital“ This is the motto for the second edition of the Cali Marathon on Sunday. Organisers of the race in southwestern Columbia intend to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event and move it further up in the rankings. Their future quest is to make it a major international marathon. To come a step closer to “runners paradise“ they have assembled another very strong elite field which is led by Kenya’s Ronald Korir and Nazret Weldu of Eritrea, who have personal bests of 2:04:22 and 2:20:29 respectively. Defending champions Evans Mayaka and Emmah Ndiwa of Kenya have returned, but face a tough task in their quest to cross the line first once more. No other marathon in South America has deeper fields than Cali.
While record times will be targeted once more on Sunday the entry figures are up tremendously: A total of 20,000 athletes from 49 nations registered for the event, which is an Elite Label Road Race of World Athletics. This includes races at shorter distances. Last year organisers registered 11,000 entries. “We are really happy with the way the Cali Marathon developed within just a year. We do not plan to increase the overall number of runners much. But we want to have more marathon runners in the future. This year 3,000 athletes compete over the classic distance,“ said Race Director Luis Felipe Posso. Abel Anton, the Spanish two-time World Marathon Champion from 1997 and 1999, who is invited as a guest of honour, said: “I can’t believe that this race has developed so strongly in such a short time.“
With an altitude of around 1,000 m and humid conditions as well as relatively warm temperatures of around 20 Celsius expected Cali is unlikely to see fast times. However such conditions often produce dramatic races, as happened last year, when the men’s winner came from behind in the final stages. Kenyans Evans Mayaka and Emmah Ndiwa both produced Columbian allcomers’ records of 2:11:04 and 2:29:26 respectively a year ago. “It is our aim to break these records again on Sunday,“ said Luis Felipe Posso, who hopes to see a first sub 2:10 time on Columbian soil.
The men’s race has a very good depth with five athletes featuring personal bests of sub 2:06. Another three are on the start list who have run under 2:10. Evans Mayaka is only ninth on the list with his PB of 2:10:00. But the 38 year-old was in a similar position last year and defied the odds.
Ronald Korir, who is the fastest entrant with his 2:04:44 PB, ran this time when he was fourth in Berlin three years ago. In 2024 he produced another fine performance in Germany, taking fourth place in Hamburg with 2:05:41. “It has been a difficult time for me these past two years with different injury problems. Training for Cali went well, so I hope that I might win on Sunday,” said Ronald Korir, who was unable to finish a marathon in 2025.
In contrast fellow-Kenyan Ezra Tanui has shown great form in his recent races. In 2025 he won all three of marathons, taking Doha plus Chinese races JiLin and Yellow River. The 28 year-old has continued strongly early this year, when he was third in Osaka with a 2:05:55 PB. “I am confident about my chances on Sunday. My personal best came two months ago in Osaka, and since then my training has gone well. I am not looking for a particular time, but I trust in my ability to finish strongly,” said Ezra Tanui.
Abel Kirui, Kenya’s double World Marathon Champion from 2009 and 2011, will run his farewell race as a professional athlete. The 44 year-old, who won the Olympic silver medal in 2012, ran his PB of 2:05:04 in 2009.
In the women’s race Fatima Gardadi is among the favourites. The Moroccan may only be number five on the start list with a PB of 2:24:06. But a race like Cali could suit her. The 34 year-old has done very well in warm weather, taking a surprising bronze medal at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023 and placing tenth in the Olympic marathon in Paris a year later.
Nazret Weldu of Eritrea is another athlete who has done very well at the World Championships. The 35 year-old was fourth in Eugene in 2022, running her PB and a national record of 2:20:29. In 2024 she was the winner of the Vienna City Marathon. “Sunday will be my first race since my daughter Annalisa was born in May last year. I am not looking to run any particular time, but I do want to be competitive, and I hope that my strength allows me to do well in the race,” said Nazret Weldu.
Stacy Ndiwa is expected to do well. The Kenyan is the 2024 winner of the Los Angeles Marathon and ran her PB of 2:23:29 a year ago in Boston, where she finished ninth. She is not related to the defending champion Emmah Ndiwa. The 30 year-old, who has a personal record of 2:25:15, produced a dominant performance last year, when she won the Cali Marathon with 2:29:26. With her 2:25:15 PB she is however not among the seven women on the start list who have run sub 2:25:00.
Elite runners with personal bests
MEN:
Ronald Korir KEN 2:04:22
Abel Kirui KEN 2:05:04
Okubay Tsegay ERI 2:05:20
Eric Kiptanui KEN 2:05:47
Ezra Tanui KEN 2:05:55
Challa Gossa ETH 2:07:32
Martin Musau UGA 2:08:42
Habtamu Birlew ETH 2:09:10
Evans Mayaka KEN 2:10:00
Derlys Ayala PAR 2:10:11
Ezra Kering KEN 2:11:55
Bernard Geay TAN 2:15:47
Mayko Geay TAN Debut
Brian Kwemoi KEN Debut
David Wanjohi KEN Debut
WOMEN:
Nazret Weldu ERI 2:20:29
Gladys Chesir KEN 2:20:30
Stacy Ndiwa KEN 2:23:29
Cynthia Kosgei KEN 2:23:43
Fatima Gardadi MAR 2:24:06
Letebrhan Haylay ETH 2:24:47
Sadiya Awel ETH 2:24:57
Emmah Ndiwa KEN 2:25:15
Rosa Chacha ECU 2:26:43
Nigist Muluneh ETH 2:27:41
Fatiha Benchatki MAR 2:28:29
Marcela Gomes ARG 2:28:58
Veronicah Wanjiru KEN 2:29:03
More information is available online at: https://maratondecali.co/en
Please note: You may use the attached photos, showing Evans Mayaka and Ezra Tanui as well as Stacy Ndiwa, Emmah Ndiwa and Fatima Gardadi in Cali, only in conjunction with this news release and with the following credit: Victah Sailer
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