BEIJING — A record over 4,700 runners completed the 2025 Beijing Marathon within three hours on Sunday, while Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Anchinalu Dessie Genaneh won the men’s and the women’s events respectively, Xinhua reported.

Hayle clocked 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 10 seconds to defend his title, which was more than one minute faster than his last year’s performance.

His compatriot Desalegn Girma Debel finished second, followed by DPR Korea’s Han Il Ryong in third.

In the women’s event, Genaneh registered 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 8 seconds to secure victory, just seven seconds ahead of runner-up Marion Jepkonga Kibor of Kenya, while another Ethiopian runner Kuftu Tahir Dadiso placed third.

Featuring a record 32,000 participants this year, the Beijing Marathon, spanning from Tiananmen Square to the Beijing Olympic Park, provided more opportunities for runners to prove themselves in the dual Olympic city.

According to the organisers, over 4,700 runners finished the 42.195-kilometre race within three hours, which broke the record of 3,004 set last year.