Yeman Crippa claims historic victory on the streets of Paris

On athlete Yeman Crippa didn’t just win the Paris Marathon; he made a statement.

Clocking a blistering personal best of 2:05:18, Crippa became the first Italian man ever to take the title and the first European in 24 years to stand atop the podium. In a race defined by patience and precision, he delivered exactly what you’d expect from an athlete of his calibre, which was control early, conviction later.

The 28-year-old, Eritrean-born Italian executed a near-perfect race. A tightly packed lead group held formation through 35 kilometres, but that’s where Crippa’s composure and confidence took over. In the closing stretch, he shifted gears with that unmistakable track speed, breaking the field and never looking back. Ethiopia’s Bayelign Teshager (2:05:24) and Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo (2:05:29) simply couldn’t respond.

After the finish, his words reflected both relief and clarity:

“My career as a marathon runner begins today. I have finally found the right path. Today I redeemed myself for my 25th-place finish at the Paris Olympics, and a completely new page opens. This morning, I discovered I have a real feeling for the marathon.”

From track precision to marathon authority

What we saw along the Seine wasn’t a breakout; it was a culmination.

This marked Crippa’s seventh marathon, and it’s clear the transition from track to road is no longer a work in progress. It’s complete. Before stepping fully into the marathon scene, he systematically rewrote the Italian record books, claiming national records across an almost unheard-of range: 3,000m, 5,000m, and 10,000m on the track, along with 5km, 10km, and a 59:01 half-marathon on the road.

He’s not just versatile; he’s historically dominant.

With a European 10,000m title in 2022 and a European Half Marathon gold in Rome in 2024, the pedigree has always been there. What was missing was the marathon result to match it. After a learning experience in Milan three years ago, this performance in Paris confirms what many suspected: Crippa hasn’t just adapted to the marathon. He’s ready to shape it.

And if this race is any indication, he’s only just getting started.

The top-three women were Demise Shure in 2:18:35, Alemayehu Misgane for second in 2:19:08 and taking third was Masai Madaline in 2:19:17.

For Shure, after at least a dozen marathons, the 30-year-old Ethiopian broke the 2:20:00 barrier for the first time in Paris. Her previous best was 2:20:59 from Dubai in 2015.

Alemayehu Misgane ran a personal best, too. The 21-year-old is also Ethiopian, and her only other marathon was the Generali Maratón de Málaga, Málaga, Spain, where she ran 2:24:44 in December 2025. Meanwhile, for 32-year-old Kenya Masai Magdalyne, her personal best is 2:18:58; however, Paris was her third consecutive sub-2:20:00, having run the 2025 Tokyo and 2024 Frankfurt Marathons in 2:19:28 and 2:18:58, respectively.

Results

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