Kibet Breaks the Course Record at the Rome Half Marathon
By ZealZag Team
Kenya's Filex Kibet won the 2026 Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon on Sunday, October 18, in 59:22, lowering the men's course record by 22 seconds. Ethiopia's Netsanet Desta won the women's race in 1:07:26. The race is part of the World Athletics Elite Label road races calendar. The men's race Kibet finished 16 seconds ahead of Selemon Ataklti Kidanu of Ethiopia, who also ran under the hour with 59:38 in his half marathon debut. Kenya's Elisha Kiprop took third in 1:00:13, and Robert Keter was fourth in a personal best of 1:00:37. Kibet's winning time beat the previous course record of 59:44.
Italy's Ahmed Ouhda was the first Italian man across the line, in 11th place in 1:02:31, followed by Nicolò Bedini in 12th. Britain's Lewis Hannigan finished 13th in 1:03:27. Six Italian men finished in the top 20.
The women's race
Desta won by 22 seconds over Kenya's Regina Wambui Ndungu, who ran 1:07:48. Yalemget Yaregal of Ethiopia was third in 1:08:22, so Ethiopia took two of the three podium places. Giovanna Epis was the first Italian woman, in fifth place in 1:11:43, and Italian women filled 11 of the top 20 places.
Top 20: men
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filex Kibet | Kenya | 59:22 |
| 2 | Selemon Ataklti Kidanu | Ethiopia | 59:38 |
| 3 | Elisha Kiprop | Kenya | 1:00:13 |
| 4 | Robert Keter | Kenya | 1:00:37 |
\| 5 | Kelvin Kipruto | Kenya | 1:00:45 | \| 6 | Yayewsew Zeleke | Ethiopia | 1:01:02 | \| 7 | Halefom Tesfay | Ethiopia | 1:01:20 | \| 8 | Maxon Kipngetich | Kenya | 1:01:51 | \| 9 | Edward Koonyo | Kenya | 1:02:00 | \| 10 | Sezgin Atac | Turkey | 1:02:17 | \| 11 | Ahmed Ouhda | Italy | 1:02:31 | \| 12 | Nicolò Bedini | Italy | 1:03:10 | \| 13 | Lewis Hannigan | Great Britain | 1:03:27 | \| 14 | Francesco Carrera | Italy | 1:03:28 | \| 15 | Giuseppe Gravante | Italy | 1:03:36 | \| 16 | Timothy Kosgei | Kenya | 1:03:55 | \| 17 | Martin Desmidt | France | 1:04:25 | \| 18 | Thomas D'Este | Italy | 1:04:31 | \| 19 | Ademe Cuneo | Italy | 1:05:42 | \| 20 | Jonathan Cornish | Great Britain | 1:05:43 |
Top 20: women
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netsanet Desta | Ethiopia | 1:07:26 |
| 2 | Regina Wambui Ndungu | Kenya | 1:07:48 |
| 3 | Yalemget Yaregal | Ethiopia | 1:08:22 |
| 4 | Betelihem Afenigus | Ethiopia | 1:10:05 |
| 5 | Giovanna Epis | Italy | 1:11:43 |
| 6 | Sylwia Indeka | Poland | 1:12:28 |
\| 7 | Melissa Fracassini | Italy | 1:13:41 | \| 8 | Carolien Millenaar | Denmark | 1:16:03 | \| 9 | Giulia Giorgi | Italy | 1:16:12 | \| 10 | Isabella Caposieno | Italy | 1:16:59 | \| 11 | Sara Carnicelli | Italy | 1:17:59 | \| 12 | Michela Guidotti | Italy | 1:18:19 | \| 13 | Aurora Ermini | Italy | 1:18:22 | \| 14 | Caroline Dennilauler | France | 1:18:55 | \| 15 | Hanna Bergström | Sweden | 1:18:59 | \| 16 | Giulia Cappelli | Italy | 1:19:16 | \| 17 | Fanny Josefine Ahlfors | Sweden | 1:21:09 | \| 18 | Giulia Sommi | Italy | 1:22:04 | \| 19 | Sara Galimberti | Italy | 1:22:10 | \| 20 | Isabella Papa | Italy | 1:23:06 |
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