At 7:00 on December 21, the 2025 Guangzhou Marathon kicked off at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre. This marked the first time that Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia participated in the Guangzhou Marathon. The race ended in disappointment for Bekele, as he did not finish.
Today’s withdrawal at the Guangzhou Marathon mirrors Bekele’s last race at the New York City Marathon, where the 43-year-old legend also pulled out halfway through the course.
But the men’s win remains Ethiopians. In the men’s race, Ethiopia’s Afewerk Mesfin Woldetensae claimed the championship with a time of 2:12:23, narrowly outpacing Kenya’s Felix Kirwa, who finished just two seconds behind in second place. Chinese runner Zhaxi Ciren secured third place.
The women’s race saw a dominant performance from East African runners, who swept the top three positions:
🏅 Joyce Chepkemoi Tele won the title in 2:22:40, setting a new event record.
🥈 Betelihem Afenigus Yemer finished second;
🥉 Chaltu Chimdesa Kumsa took third.
