Ethiopian long-distance runner Fotyen Tesfay delivered one of the most remarkable performances in marathon history on Sunday, storming to victory at the Barcelona Marathon with a stunning time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 53 seconds.
The 28-year-old’s performance placed her second on the all-time women’s marathon list, making it the second-fastest women’s marathon ever recorded.
Competing in her first marathon, Tesfay ran an aggressive pace throughout the race in Barcelona, Spain, eventually breaking away to finish alone and set the fastest marathon debut ever by a woman.
Her winning mark also smashed the previous course record for the race and came within 57 seconds of the women’s world record of 2:09:56, set at the Chicago Marathon by Kenyan runner Ruth Chepngetich.
Behind Tesfay, Kenya’s Joan Jepkosgei finished second in 2:18:42, while Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer claimed third place in 2:18:49, completing the women’s podium.
The 2026 Barcelona race also produced a strong performance in the men’s category, where Ugandan runner Abel Chelangat claimed victory with a personal best time of 2:04:57, further highlighting the high-quality field at the event.
Tesfay, who previously competed in the 10,000 metres at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s top distance runners, with major successes in half-marathons and road races before her historic marathon debut in Barcelona.