Kenyan distance runners collected two marathon titles in Europe and one in North Africa on Sunday, October 25. Peter Kwemoi Ndorobo set a course record at the 40th Venice Marathon, Jackline Jerono won the women's race there, and Daniel Kiprono Sang took the Casablanca Marathon in Morocco.

In Frankfurt the Kenyans did not win. Former champion Benard Biwott came home third, and Ethiopian runners took both the men's and women's titles in wet, windy conditions.

Kwemoi rewrites the record book in Venice

Kwemoi won the Wizz Air Venice Marathon in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 31 seconds. That took 10 seconds off the course record Solomon Mutai set three years ago, according to Watch Athletics. The Italian running magazine Runners.it also reported the time as a new event record.

Kwemoi's previous best was 2:11:47, set in San Felice Circeo in February, so he improved by more than four minutes. Watch Athletics reported that a lead group of 15 went through halfway in 1:03:39, which was inside record pace. The race was decided on the closing section across the long Liberty Bridge and the 14 smaller bridges that lead to the finish.

Only Ethiopia's Yatede Tarto Berhanu stayed with him into the final kilometres. Kwemoi passed 40km in 2:00:47 with a four-second lead and pulled away from there. Berhanu finished second in 2:07:47, also under the old record. Kenya's Dikson Simba Nyakundi was third in a personal best of 2:07:56.

The race had unusual depth for Venice. Eight men broke 2:10, and Kenyans took six of the top eight places. Collins Kemboi Kipsang was fourth in 2:08:07, Evans Kipkorir fifth in 2:08:41, and Felix Kimutai and Wesley Ledama seventh and eighth in 2:09:00 and 2:09:01.

"I am very happy because I won a highly prestigious race, but above all because I improved my time by almost 4 minutes, making my personal best also the course record. I started my career relatively late. I am 33 and this was just my sixth marathon," Kwemoi said, in remarks carried by Watch Athletics.

Jerono survives a water-station scare

The women's race nearly turned on a dropped bottle. Five women reached halfway together in 1:14:02. On the Liberty Bridge, Jerono and Ethiopia's Alemaz Samuel Teshale broke clear of the rest.

At the final refreshment station Jerono dropped her bottle and stopped to pick it up, and Teshale opened a small gap. The Kenyan closed it, passed her rival and pulled away to win in 2:26:16. That is a personal best by about five minutes and the third-fastest women's time in the race's history, according to Watch Athletics and Runners.it. Teshale finished second in 2:26:23 and Worknesh Alemu Mola third in 2:28:46.

"I am very happy to have won in Venice for the fortieth edition, and I am glad to have achieved my personal best. This win gives me a lot of confidence," Jerono said.

Sang leads Kenyan one-two in Casablanca

In Morocco, Sang won the 17th Credit du Maroc Casablanca Marathon in 2:06:41. Compatriot Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo was second in 2:07:17 and Ethiopia's Mandefro Workineh Tadese third in 2:08:40, according to results published by Watch Athletics and Moroccan outlets including Yabiladi and TelQuel. Organisers said course records fell in both marathons and in the women's half marathon.

Ethiopia's Ayalew Bere won the women's marathon in 2:25:21. Kenya's Gladys Cherop Longari finished third in 2:27:21, behind Morocco's Soukaina Atanane.

Biwott on the podium in Frankfurt

At the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, Biwott was trying to win back the title he took in 2024. He finished third in 2:06:23. Ethiopia's Jirata Dinki won in 2:05:26 and Germany's Amanal Petros was second in 2:05:46. Ethiopia's Zeineba Yimer won the women's race in 2:19:45. Kenya's Marion Kibor was seventh and Janet Ruguru eighth, according to results compiled by World-Track.

The international results came on the same day Abraham Kiptum and Mercy Kandie Rotich won the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon at home. Next on the calendar is the New York City Marathon on November 1, where Kenyans lead both elite fields.

Photos: Watch Athletics / Venicemarathon; Moonik / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)