Spain's racing Sunday: Málaga's marathon breakthrough and a one-second Itálica finish
By AthRecs Editorial · 3 min read
Spain hosted an extraordinary Sunday of road and cross-country running, with a Málaga women's marathon record and podiums decided by the smallest of margins.
The Spanish running weekend had two completely different sounds. On the roads of Málaga, Rebeca Kangogo Chesir finished the women's marathon in 2:21:17, breaking the event record by more than three minutes. Near Seville, Rodrigue Kwizera won the senior international men's cross-country event by just one second.
Both race meetings also gave Spanish athletes a chance to shine. Álex Jiménez led the Spanish marathoners in Málaga; Jorge Blanco and Lidia Campo won the half-marathons. At Itálica, Spanish runners placed highly in the international fields, and the under-20 races crowned home champions.
There is room in one national round-up for different distances, different generations and different reasons to celebrate, as long as the performances are properly attributed to their own race classifications.
Málaga: marathon and half-marathon achievements
Simon Njuguna Waithira won the Málaga men's marathon in 2:08:17, eight seconds ahead of Victor Kiplimo and 38 ahead of Gaddisa Tafa Dekeba. Rebeca Kangogo Chesir won the women's race in a record 2:21:17; Ivyne Jeruto Lagat and Rodah Jepkorir Tanui completed the Kenyan women's podium.
Álex Jiménez was the leading Spanish marathoner in 2:18:13. Jorge Blanco won the men's half marathon in a reported course-record 1:03:34, with Daniel Mateo and John Travers following. Lidia Campo led the women's half in 1:14:21, followed by Emma Styles and Hana Homolková.
A revised Málaga route helped create a fresh edition, but the compelling detail was the range of athletes and outcomes. Some went home as international champions; others claimed national bragging rights or raced distances and fields of their own.
Sources: EFE results from Málaga
Itálica: elite podiums and age-category honours
Kwizera won Itálica in 27:37, holding off Charles Kiboino (27:38) and Frankline Kibet (27:39). Likina Amebaw won the women's international race in 30:41, ahead of Charity Cherop and Cynthia Chepkirui. The times here follow the official classification, which differs by a second from some secondary reports.
Thierry Ndikumwenayo placed fifth in 27:59 and Miguel Ángel Martínez Chazarra sixth in 28:00 among the men's international field. Carolina Robles Campos was the leading Spanish woman, eighth in 32:51, with María Forero Pérez ninth in 33:16.
The U20 results deserve the same accuracy and respect: Carla Cabezas Moreno won the women's category in 17:29 and Álvaro González Fernández the men's in 14:16. Youth athlete biographies and public profile visibility remain subject to appropriate identity and privacy checks.
Sources: Itálica official classifications
Quick answers
Who won the 2026 Málaga Marathon?
Simon Njuguna Waithira won the men's race in 2:08:17 and Rebecca Kangogo won the women's race in a record 2:21:17.
Who won the under-20 Itálica Cross races in 2026?
Carla Cabezas Moreno won the women's U20 event in 17:29; Álvaro González Fernández won the men's U20 event in 14:16.