European half marathon champion Yemaneberhan Crippa from Italy stepped up in distance to take a triumphant victory in the Paris Marathon on Sunday (12) morning, the first win of his marathon career.
Crippa utilised the long descent in the final kilometre onto the Avenue Foch to break away from Ethiopia’s Bayelign Teshager before making the sharp right hand turn with a winning lead. This allowed the Italian to salute the crowds en route to becoming the first European winner of the men’s race since 2002.
Crippa crossed the finish line in a lifetime best of 2:05:18, winning by five seconds from Teshager in 2:05:23 with Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo completing the podium in third in 2:05:28.
Crippa arrived in excellent form having smashed his national record in the half marathon with a 59:01 clocking for victory in Naples in February but the 29-year-old has had a chequered relationship with the full marathon distance.
Crippa was a non-finisher at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year and could only manage a modest 2:10:59 clocking in the Valencia Marathon last December but the Italian converted his proven form at the shorter distances to the classic marathon distance this morning.
"A whole new chapter begins"
A large pack was still involved through halfway in a relatively sedate 63:14 and Crippa grew in confidence as the race progressed. Always towards the front of the leading group, Crippa covered the second half in a big negative split of 62:04 to seal his maiden marathon victory in his seventh endeavour at the distance.
"My marathon career begins today. I've finally found the right path. It was incredible. Around the 33rd kilometre, I realised it would be my day, and when, at the 39th kilometre, I saw my opponents struggling, I decided to attack.
"Today, I redeemed myself from the 25th place I placed in Paris at the Olympic Games, and a whole new chapter begins. This morning, I discovered I have a real connection with the marathon," said Crippa as quoted by FIDAL.
With Crippa leading the way, three Europeans finished inside the top six. Norway’s Awet Kibrab finished fifth in 2:05:46, one place ahead of France’s Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse who shattered his lifetime best by almost two minutes with a 2:05:58 clocking.
In the women’s race which was won by Ethiopia’s Shure Demise in a lifetime best and course record of 2:18:34, the prolific Finn Alisa Vainio notched up her third marathon in the 2:20-2:21 range within the space of four months.
Having set back-to-back Finnish records of 2:20:48 and 2:20:39 in Valencia and Seville respectively, Vainio set the third fastest time of her career so far with a 2:21:35 clocking to finish sixth overall.
Mekdes Woldu was the leading French finisher in eighth in 2:26:25.
Crippa's marathon record
2:08:57 (5) - 2023 Milan Marathon
2:06:06 (4) - 2024 Seville Marathon
2:10:36 (25) - 2024 Olympic Games (Paris)
DNF - 2025 London Marathon
DNF - 2025 World Athletics Championships (Tokyo)
2:10:59 (38) - 2025 Valencia Marathon
2:05:18 (1) - 2026 Paris Marathon
Photos courtesy of Victor Barcus and Bastien Seon / A.S.O