Kenya, Ethiopia Dominate 2026 Lagos City Marathon
Last update: February 14, 2026
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Kerin, Dinke claim wins as Kenya, Ethiopia dominate 2026 Lagos City Marathon.
CBI News reports that East African athletes once again asserted their dominance at the Lagos City Marathon, with runners from Kenya and Ethiopia claiming top honours in the men’s and women’s races.
Kenya’s Ezra Kipchumba Kerin delivered a fine performance on Saturday, winning the men’s elite race with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 55 seconds. Kerin surged ahead of a competitive field to secure victory at the finish line in Eko Atlantic City.
In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Meseret Dinke crossed the line first, with a time of 2 hours, 37 minutes and 36 seconds to seal her win.
Their victories reinforce the continued supremacy of East African athletes, particularly Kenyans and Ethiopians, in the Lagos Marathon and other major road races around the world. The result mirrors last year’s edition, where Kenya’s Edwin Kibet and Ethiopia’s Guta Meseret Hirpa emerged as winners in the men’s and women’s races, respectively.
Now in its 11th edition, the Lagos City Marathon has grown into one of Africa’s leading road races, attracting thousands of elite and recreational runners from across the globe. Since its inception in 2016, the marathon has blended high-level competition with mass participation while promoting fitness, unity, and community engagement.
Despite early morning rainfall, the race commenced as scheduled, with elite 42-kilometre runners setting off at 6:30 a.m. from Orca Mall on Ahmadu Bello Way. The course wound through major parts of Lagos before culminating along the Atlantic coastline, where enthusiastic spectators gathered to cheer the finishers.
