Portugal running round-up: Porto crowns Kigen and Heshe, with home runners to applaud
By AthRecs Editorial · 2 min read
Porto's international marathon titles went to Kenya and Ethiopia, but Fernando Serrão, Miriam Martins and the 10K winners gave Portugal a proud day too.
Portugal's leading finishers made the 22nd Porto Marathon about more than the international podium. Fernando Serrão finished ninth man in 2:22:58, the fastest Portuguese athlete in the men's marathon, while Miriam Martins placed fifth woman in 2:52:36 to lead Portugal's women.
At the front, Kenya's Vincent Kipkorir Kigen had won a close race in 2:11:00, with Ethiopia's Tissa Dibisa Admasu only 17 seconds behind. Ergat Kahsay Heshe was the decisive women's winner in 2:28:08, ahead of Nelly Jepleting Tirop.
The return of the course to Vila Nova de Gaia, after construction had affected the 2025 route, provided a different setting for this year's running. Thousands of athletes from around the world joined the weekend; the host country's performances deserved a story of their own.
Home performances at the Porto Marathon
Serrão's 2:22:58 was ninth overall and made the São Salvador do Campo athlete the highest-placed Portuguese man. Martins took fifth in the women's classification in 2:52:36 and was the leading Portuguese woman.
The marathon top threes were Kigen, Admasu and Vincent Kiprono among the men, and Heshe, Tirop and Netsanet Tafere Desta among the women. Each winner had to earn the position over the full distance, with the men's race especially close.
The event reported approximately 15,000 registrations across its programme, including around 9,000 for the marathon and runners representing 104 nationalities. Those are registrations, not a verified count of finishers.
Porto's 10K gave Portugal more champions
Simão Bastos of ACD Jardim da Serra won the men's Porto 10K in 30:11, followed by Nuno Fernandes (30:31) and Magri Luca (31:23). Maria Vinagre of Salgueiros won the women's race in 34:27 ahead of Sara Catarina Ribeiro (36:42) and Ana Silva (37:26).
These six athletes competed in a separate race on the same weekend, deserving a separate result entry and athlete record. Once the official category sheets are verified, masters and age-classification winners should join them in the archive.
Portuguese representation did not stop at Porto. Ana Marinho also appears in the official international women's Itálica Cross results in Spain; her 2026 Amorebieta race result, eighth in 31:46, is separately reported by World Athletics. That is a further lead for profile research, not a reason to combine unverified identities.
Sources: Porto marathon and 10K race report · Ana Marinho – World Athletics athlete profile
Quick answers
Who were the leading Portuguese runners at Porto Marathon 2026?
Fernando Serrão was the leading Portuguese man in 2:22:58 and Miriam Martins was the leading Portuguese woman in 2:52:36.
Who won the 2026 Porto Marathon?
Vincent Kipkorir Kigen won in 2:11:00 and Ergat Kahsay Heshe won the women's marathon in 2:28:08.