In her first race over 26.2 miles, the Ethiopian is second in the women’s world rankings behind Ruth Chepngetic’s controversial 2:09:56.
Fotienne Tesfa’s 2:10:53 on her marathon debut in Barcelona on Sunday (March 15) puts the Ethiopian at No. 2 in the all-time women’s marathon world rankings. Only Ruth Chepngetic’s 2:09:56 from Chicago in 2024 is faster, though. Kenya’s world record is marred by the fact that it imposed a three-year drug ban last October.
Some may now consider Tesfai to be in fact world record holder. On the other hand, Czepngetic’s otherworldly performance, followed by the revelation that he had taken the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide, means fans will be skeptical of anything approaching his record.
Tesfai crossed the halfway point in 65:05 and took the lead to win by eight minutes.
“Today was fantastic, not what I expected but good,” he said. “My plan was to attack the world record, but today there was a lot of wind, I couldn’t push in the last part of the race. I didn’t make it today, but in the next marathon I would like to try for the world record.”
Tesfaye, 28, was fourth at the U20 World Championships over 3000m in 2016 and is a previous winner of the Grand Ethiopian Sprint, an event that has often acted as a springboard to the international stage.
In 2023, he ran an eye-popping 63:21 at the Valencia Half Marathon to become No. 4 in the world all-time rankings.
The following year, she was seventh in the 10,000 m final at the Olympics, just three seconds behind winner Béatrice Chebet.
Then, in 2025, he ran 63:35 to win the Berlin Half Marathon and finished eighth in the 10,000m world final in Tokyo.
Tesfaye has now completed Chepngetic’s world record by 57 seconds and beaten the Barcelona course record of 2:19:33 set by Sharon Chelimo in 2025.
Kenya’s Joanne Jepkosgei Kiplimo finished second with a time of 2:18:42, while Ethiopia’s Zeyneba Yimer finished third with a time of 2:18:4.
Uganda’s Abel Chelangat won the men’s race in 2:04:57 from Kenya’s Patrick Mosin and Jonathan Korir.
