Paris Marathon 2026 Results: Crippa Makes European History as Demise Smashes Women’s Course Record

The 2026 Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris produced one of the greatest days in European marathon running history on Sunday, 12 April. Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa won the men’s race in 2:05:18, becoming the first European winner of the Paris Marathon in over two decades. In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Shure Demise obliterated the course record with a stunning 2:18:34, lowering Judith Jeptum Korir’s 2022 mark of 2:19:48 by over a minute. More than 55,000 runners from 145 nationalities took part in one of the world’s biggest marathons on a spectacular spring day through the streets of the French capital.

Men’s Race: Crippa Writes His Name Into History

Yemaneberhan Crippa has been one of the most exciting talents in European distance running for years — a European 10,000m and half marathon medallist who has steadily built toward marathon greatness. In Paris, he delivered on that promise in the most emphatic way imaginable.

Crippa crossed the line on Avenue Foch in 2:05:18, holding off a deep and determined field. Ethiopia’s Bayelign Teshager was just five seconds behind in 2:05:23, with Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo completing the podium in 2:05:28. The margin between first and third was a mere 10 seconds — one of the tightest finishes in Paris Marathon history.

The depth behind the podium was extraordinary. Six men finished inside 2:06, with Mohamed Ismail fourth in 2:05:38, Eritrea’s Awet Nftalem Kibrab fifth in 2:05:46, and France’s Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse producing a phenomenal sixth-place finish in 2:05:58 on home soil. Roudolff-Levisse’s sub-2:06 performance on the streets of Paris sent the French crowd into raptures and capped an unforgettable day for European marathon running.

Kenya’s Bethwel Kibet (2:06:06), Hillary Kipkoech (2:06:33), Erick Kiplangat (2:06:53), and Eritrea’s Zerei Kbrom Mezngi (2:07:00) rounded out a world-class top 10 in which all finishers ran sub-2:07.

Men’s Marathon — Top 10

Women’s Race: Demise Destroys Course Record

If Crippa’s victory was the story that made the headlines, Shure Demise’s women’s race was the performance that rewrote the record books. The Ethiopian crossed the finish line in 2:18:34, smashing the women’s course record of 2:19:48 set by Kenya’s Judith Jeptum Korir in 2022 by over a minute.

Behind Demise, the quality was staggering. Ethiopia’s Misgane Alemayehu — racing in the under-23 category — ran an outstanding 2:19:08 for second place. Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai (2:19:17) and Ethiopia’s Enatnesh Alamrew Tirusew (2:19:18) were separated by just one second in a dramatic battle for third and fourth — both finishing faster than the previous course record. Sharon Chelimo of Kenya completed the top five in 2:20:03.

The European contingent produced notable performances too. Finland’s Alisa Vainio ran 2:21:35 in sixth, while France’s Meline Rollin flew the home flag in 2:28:52. America’s Maggie Montoya was ninth in 2:27:04.

Women’s Marathon — Top 10

The Course: 42.195 km Through the City of Light

The Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris is one of the world’s great city marathons, and the 2026 course delivered the spectacular backdrop that draws over 55,000 runners to Paris each April. Starting at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées, runners swept down to Place de la Concorde before heading along the Rue de Rivoli past the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre.

The route then looped past the Palais Garnier and Place de la Bastille before entering the leafy Bois de Vincennes for the green middle section of the course, including a scenic loop around Lake Daumesnil. Runners returned to the city via the banks of the Seine, passing Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Musée d’Orsay, before the course headed west toward the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro. The final stretch wound through the Bois de Boulogne before the grandstand finish on Avenue Foch — just metres from the Arc de Triomphe where it all began.

The mostly flat profile and wide Parisian boulevards make this a fast course, though the cobblestoned sections and tight turns through the historic centre add character. The World Athletics Gold Label designation confirms its status among the world’s elite marathon events.

A European Breakthrough

Crippa’s victory and Roudolff-Levisse’s sub-2:06 sixth place marked a historic day for European marathon running. Two European athletes finishing inside 2:06 in the same major marathon is virtually unheard of — and the fact that one of them won outright, in Paris, against a field stacked with East African talent, will resonate across the sport.

For Italian running, Crippa’s 2:05:18 continues a remarkable trajectory. The 28-year-old had already established himself as one of Europe’s finest distance runners on the track and over the half marathon, but a major marathon victory at this level — holding off Teshager by just five seconds — cements his status as one of the best marathon runners in the world, regardless of nationality.

For French running, Roudolff-Levisse’s performance on home soil was equally significant. A sub-2:06 clocking in front of a Parisian crowd marks a new chapter for French men’s marathon running, which has seen a resurgence in recent years but had not produced a result at this level in the modern era.

Women’s Race: Four Under the Old Course Record

The depth of the women’s race was exceptional. Demise’s course record of 2:18:34 was the headline, but the performances behind her told an equally compelling story. Alemayehu (2:19:08), Masai (2:19:17), and Tirusew (2:19:18) all finished faster than the previous course record of 2:19:48 — meaning four women ran faster in Paris today than any woman had ever run here before.

The one-second gap between Masai and Tirusew for third and fourth place was one of the closest finishes across either race, and the battle through the final kilometres on the Bois de Boulogne section must have been dramatic for the spectators lining the route.

Key Takeaways from Paris Marathon 2026

• Crippa’s historic victory: The Italian’s 2:05:18 makes him the first European winner of the Paris Marathon in over two decades — a landmark moment for European distance running.
• Razor-thin margins: Just 10 seconds separated the top three men (2:05:18 to 2:05:28), and six men finished inside 2:06 — an extraordinary display of competitive depth.
• Demise smashes course record: Shure Demise’s 2:18:34 lowered the women’s course record by over a minute, with four women finishing faster than the previous mark.
• Roudolff-Levisse’s home heroics: Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse’s 2:05:58 for sixth place on French soil was a career-defining performance and a statement for French marathon running.
• Alemayehu’s U23 brilliance: The Ethiopian under-23 runner’s 2:19:08 for second place signals the arrival of a major marathon talent.
• 55,000+ from 145 nationalities: The Paris Marathon remains one of the world’s biggest and most diverse, with the Salon du Running expo attracting 80,000 visitors over three days.

Full official results including all finishers are available on the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris official site.