Rome Marathon 2026 Results: Rutto Returns to Win in Thrilling Four-Second Finish as Kibiwot Dominates Women’s Race

The 31st Acea Run Rome The Marathon delivered a dramatic day of racing on Sunday, 22 March 2026, as over 35,000 runners took on one of the world’s most spectacular marathon courses through the Eternal City. Kenya’s Asbel Rutto reclaimed the men’s title with a winning time of 2:06:32, holding off compatriot Henry Tukor Kichana by just four seconds in a nail-biting sprint finish. In the women’s race, Pascaline Kibiwot of Kenya produced a commanding front-running performance to win in 2:22:44.

For Rutto, it was a return to the top of the podium at a race he knows well — the 2024 champion came back to Rome and delivered again at the World Athletics Elite Label event, with a time just eight seconds outside his own course record of 2:06:24 set two years ago.

Men’s Race: Rutto Edges Kichana in Four-Second Thriller

The men’s race came down to the closing kilometres in a duel between two Kenyans. Asbel Rutto, the 2024 champion, and Henry Tukor Kichana ran stride for stride through the historic streets before Rutto found enough in the tank to edge clear in the final push toward the finish near the Colosseum.

Rutto crossed the line in 2:06:32, just four seconds ahead of Kichana’s 2:06:36 — one of the tightest finishes in the race’s 31-year history. The Kenyan knew exactly what was required, having won here in 2024 in a course record 2:06:24, and his experience on Rome’s cobblestones proved decisive when it mattered most.

Ethiopia’s Lencho Tesfaye Anbesa ran a strong race for third in 2:07:44, over a minute behind the leading duo but well clear of the chasing pack. Defending champion Robert Ngeno, who won in 2025 in 2:07:35, could not match that form and finished fourth in 2:09:01. Ethiopia’s Abebaw Desalew Zewda completed the top five in 2:09:32.

Men’s Marathon — Top 10

Women’s Race: Kibiwot Runs Clear for Convincing Victory

While the men’s contest went to the wire, the women’s race belonged to one runner from start to finish. Kenya’s Pascaline Kibiwot produced an authoritative performance, taking control of the race and pulling clear to cross the finish line in 2:22:44 — comfortably the fastest women’s time in Rome this year and over two minutes ahead of the runner-up.

Ethiopia’s Genet Tadesse Robi took second place in 2:24:55, with her compatriot Aberash Fayesa Robi third in 2:25:43. The women’s top five was completed by two more Ethiopians: Addisalem Belay Tegegn (2:28:16) and Netsanet Gudeta Kebede (2:28:50).

Women’s Marathon — Top 10

The Course: 42.195 km Through an Open-Air Museum

There is no marathon in the world quite like Rome. The 31st edition started on the Via dei Fori Imperiali with the Colosseum looming behind the runners, before sweeping past Piazza Venezia and the Vittoriano monument. From there, the single-loop course wound south past the Circo Massimo, along the Lungotevere beside the River Tiber, past the Basilica di San Paolo and the ancient Piramide Cestia.

The middle section brought runners to the doorstep of the Vatican — along the stunning Via della Conciliazione with St. Peter’s Basilica as the backdrop — before continuing north past Castel Sant’Angelo to the Foro Italico and Ponte Milvio. The return leg through Rome’s historic centre was a greatest-hits tour: Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, and Via del Corso, before the final kilometres brought runners back through the ancient heart of the city to a grandstand finish near the Colosseum.

With just 56 metres of total elevation gain across the 42.195 km course, Rome remains one of the faster European city marathons — though the cobblestoned sections and tight turns through the historic centre add a unique challenge that separates this race from the flat, fast purpose-built courses elsewhere.

Kenyan Dominance on the Cobblestones

The Rome Marathon has become a stronghold for Kenyan athletes in recent years, and the 2026 edition was no exception. Kenyan runners claimed four of the top five spots in the men’s race and the women’s title, continuing a pattern of East African dominance on the streets of the Eternal City.

For Rutto in particular, Rome has become something of a home away from home. His 2024 course record of 2:06:24 still stands, and today’s 2:06:32 — run in what is likely to have been warmer March conditions compared to the cooler 2024 edition — confirms his mastery of this unique course. The four-second margin of victory over Kichana adds another chapter to the growing list of dramatic finishes in Rome.

Defending champion Robert Ngeno, who won in 2025 in 2:07:35, could not replicate that form and faded to fourth in 2:09:01 — still a respectable showing but unable to match the relentless pace set by Rutto and Kichana at the front.

A Record Edition for the Eternal City

The 31st Acea Run Rome The Marathon continued the event’s upward trajectory, with over 35,000 runners registered across the marathon, the Run4Rome charity relay, and Saturday’s Acea Water Fun Run 5K. Runners from over 115 countries lined up on the Via dei Fori Imperiali, making it one of the most international editions in the race’s history.

The race weekend began on Saturday with the 5K Fun Run starting and finishing at Circo Massimo, before Sunday’s marathon and relay took centre stage. The Expo Village at Circo Massimo, open from Thursday to Saturday, served as the pre-race hub where participants collected bibs and soaked up the atmosphere ahead of the big day.

Key Takeaways from Rome Marathon 2026

• Rutto’s Roman return: Asbel Rutto’s second Rome Marathon victory (2024 and 2026) and his 2:06:32 — just eight seconds off his own course record — cements his status as the king of the Eternal City marathon.
• Four-second finish: The gap between Rutto (2:06:32) and Kichana (2:06:36) was one of the tightest in the race’s 31-year history, delivering genuine drama at the sharp end.
• Kibiwot’s commanding win: Pascaline Kibiwot’s 2:22:44 was a dominant performance — over two minutes clear of second place — and the fastest women’s time in Rome since Ivyne Lagat’s 2:24:36 course record in 2024.
• Ethiopian depth in women’s field: Ethiopian runners filled positions two through six and eight of the top ten in the women’s race, showcasing remarkable depth behind Kibiwot’s Kenyan victory.
• East African sweep: All top 10 finishers in both men’s and women’s races were from Kenya or Ethiopia, underlining the continued dominance of East African distance running at the elite level.
• Global appeal: Over 35,000 participants from 115+ countries confirm Rome’s position as one of Europe’s most popular destination marathons.

Full official results including all finishers are available on the ENDU.net results page.