Kenyans Peter Kwemoi and Jackline Jerono sweep the 2026 Venice Marathon

While all eyes were on the New York City Marathon on Sunday, on Italy’s East Coast, the Kenyans celebrated a sweep of the Venice Marathon. Peter Kwemoi Ndorobo and Jackline Jerono, both of Kenya, claimed victories at the 40th edition of the event. Kwemoi broke the men’s course record with a 2:07:31. Jerono completed the Kenyan sweep, winning the women’s race in 2:26:16, the third-fastest time in the event’s history.

Men’s race

A lead pack of 15 established a consistent pace, passing 5 km in 14:59 and 10 km in 30:00. Pacemakers Paul Chirchir, Simon Waithaka and Thomas Ayeko led the field through halfway in 1:03:39, well inside course-record pace.

Nine runners remained in contention at the 33 km mark. With the pacemakers having completed their work, the hilly, bridge-laden finish awaited the field. There are 14 bridges in total, beginning with the Liberty Bridge, which starts to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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Kwemoi increased the pressure, gradually dropping all but Ethiopia’s Yatede Tarto Berhanu, who managed to stay with him. Kwemoi opened a four-second advantage, reaching 40 km in 2:00:47 before extending his lead over the closing kilometres.

He crossed the finish line in 2:07:31, taking 10 seconds off fellow Kenyan Solomon Mutai’s course record, set in 2023, and improving his personal best of 2:11:47, recorded in San Felice Circeo in February. Kwemoi also holds a half-marathon personal best of 59:58, recorded in Prague in 2018.

Berhanu finished second in 2:07:47, also inside the previous course record, while Dickson Simbu Nyakundi took third in a personal best of 2:07:56.

“I am very happy because I won a highly prestigious race, but above all because I improved my time by almost four minutes, making my personal best also the course record. I started my career relatively late. I am 33, and this was just my sixth marathon. I ran my first 42 km race in 2018 in Istanbul.”

Women’s race

The women’s race began at a controlled pace, with a lead group of five reaching the halfway point in 1:14:02.

The four-kilometre stretch across the Liberty Bridge, beginning around 32 km, created the expected separation. Kenya’s Jackline Jerono and Ethiopia’s Alemaz Samuel Teshale pulled away from Ethiopia’s Worknesh Alemu Mola, setting up a fierce battle for the victory.

Jerono dropped her water bottle at the next water station and stopped to retrieve it, giving Teshale the opportunity she needed to take the lead.

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However, the race was far from over. Jerono stalked her Ethiopian rival and eventually closed the gap. After catching Teshale, she made a decisive move, dropped the pace hard and pulled away to win in 2:26:16. Jerono improved her personal best by five minutes.

Teshale, the 2018 world under-20 champion over 1,500 metres in Tampere, Finland, finished second in a personal best of 2:26:23. Ethiopia’s Worknesh Alemu Mola completed the podium.

Jackline Jerono said: “I am very happy to have won in Venice for the fortieth edition, and I am glad to have achieved my personal best. This win gives me a lot of confidence.”

Results

TOP RESULTS WOMEN’S MARATHON