Ethiopians Dawit Wolde and Ruti Aga won the 2024 Xiamen Marathon on Sunday, January 5.
Men’s race
Just 13 seconds separated the top three men in Xiamen on Sunday. Wolde won in the time of two hours, six minutes, and six seconds, bettering the previous course record of 2:06:19 by Kenyan Moses Cheruiyot Mosop set in 2015. Meanwhile, Tebello Ramakongoana of Lesotho took silver, finishing 12 seconds back. And Ethiopian, Asefa Boki Kebede, took the bronze with a time of 2:06:32.
Ethiopia's Dawit Wolde and Ruti Aga claimed the respective men's and women's titles, both with new course records, at the 2025 Xiamen Marathon on Sunday.https://t.co/tMsABK7myK#Ethiopia#EthiopianRunners#XiamenMarathon pic.twitter.com/kqj3FTqOhz
— Ethiopia News Agency (@EthiopianNewsA) January 5, 2025
Ramakongoana took seventh place at the Paris Olympic Marathon this past August setting a personal best of 2:07:58.
Kebede is coming off a lifetime best, which he set in Oct. 2024 clocking 2:05:40 during the Amsterdam Marathon.
Women’s race
Aga had a much clearer lead finishing in 2:18:46 greater than four minutes in front of two who were racing for second. Gutemi Shone and Fikrte Wereta, also from Ethiopia, finished second in 2:23:11 and third in 2:23:15, respectively.
For aga, she improved on Ethiopian Mare Dibaba who set the record in 2015 at 2:19:52. Dibaba clocked a 2:27:49 this year.
As it turned out, Aga’s time is now the second-fastest women’s time record in China. And is just 37 seconds short of her best of 2:18:09, achieved in Dongying, China last year.
Aga has also won the 2019 Tokyo Marathon and Daegu Marathon in April and finished second in the Sydney Marathon in September.
Shone’s best came in the 2020 Dubai Marathon at 2:20:11. Wereta’s best is from the Seoul Marathon in March 2024 where she clocked a 2:21:32 performance.
The Xiamen Marathon is a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label race. This year’s competition attracted 35,000 competitors.
Top 5 results
Women’s
1. Ruti Aga (ETH) 2:18:46
2. Gutemi Shone Imana (ETH) 2:23:11
3. Fikrte Wereta Admasu (ETH) 2:23:15
4. Mercy Jerop Kwambai (KEN) 2:23:58
5. Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:27:49
Men’s
1. Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:06:06
2. Tebello Ramakongoana (LES) 2:06:18
3. Asefa Boki Kebebe (ETH) 2:06:32
4. Chalu Deso Gelmisa (ETH) 2:06:45
5. Ablelom Kesete Maryo (ERI) 2:07:05
