Kenyan runners Aspel Kiprop and Betty Jepleting claimed victories in the men’s and women’s elite races at the 21st Porto Marathon, which also featured strong personal bests from top Portuguese competitors.
Kiprop finished the 42.195-kilometer course in 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 17 seconds, a new personal best for the athlete. He expressed satisfaction with the “great victory” in Porto, noting the race was fast but challenging.
He edged out countryman Joshua Kipsang by 10 seconds. Ethiopia’s Derara Geleta rounded out the men’s podium with a time of 2:13:58.
Jepleting secured the women’s title with a time of 2:31:05. She outpaced fellow Kenyan Leonida Mosop, who finished second in 2:31:32.
Meseret Dinke of Ethiopia placed third, completing the marathon in 2:32:27. Jepleting, who also won the Castellón Marathon in 2022, was considered a favorite for the Porto event.
Amidst the international competition, Portuguese athletes Carlos Costa and Carla Sousa achieved significant milestones. They were the top male and female finishers from Portugal, respectively.
Costa, representing the Vizela Corre club, completed the race in 2:16:19, setting a new personal best by more than three minutes. He had previously finished sixth in the 2014 edition.
Costa attributed his performance to years of training and favorable conditions. He thanked his teammate and pacemaker, Nuno Fernandes, for support during the initial 22 kilometers.
Sousa, now with the Vitória de Guimarães club, finished as the fastest Portuguese woman, clocking 2:56:15. She was the only Portuguese female athlete to break the three-hour mark.
Sousa acknowledged fatigue from recent races, including the Berlin Marathon and Palma half marathon, but emphasized her commitment to competition. This marked her first achievement for her new club, which she joined less than two weeks prior.
She plans to continue pursuing top results, with sights set on representing her club at national events and competing in future marathons in Chicago and Copenhagen.
The World Athletics-sanctioned event drew approximately 7,500 athletes for the full marathon distance. The course mirrored that of 2024, starting near Sea Life by Castelo do Queijo and concluding at the Queimódromo event complex.
The marathon route traversed Porto and the neighboring municipalities of Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira. Unlike previous editions, it did not cross the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia due to ongoing construction on the D. Antónia Ferreira Bridge.
Including a 10-kilometer solidarity race and a 6-kilometer non-competitive walk, the event attracted about 12,500 participants. These competitors represented 88 nationalities, with foreign runners accounting for 51% of the total, reflecting the marathon’s global appeal.