Kenyan runners scoop millions of shillings after dominating Kigali Peace Marathon

Kenyan runners,once again, made history after dominating the 2026 Kigali International Peace Marathon in Rwanda on Sunday, 14 June.

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This comes after the Kenyan duo of: Kephar Lumbasi Namutala and Ivyne Jeruto were crowned champions of the men’s and women’s races, all while shattering the event course records.

Lumbasi, running in his second marathon this year, obliterated the men’s field, winning by a time of 2:14.19, which erased the previous event record of 2:14.56, set by Kenya’s Paul Kibet Kosjei in 2012.

Jeruto, on the other hand, put on a brilliant performance to take the win in the women’s race, clocking a new event record of 2:35.35.

Jeruto’s time eclipsed the previous course record of 2:38.20, set by another Kenyan - Elizabeth Jeruiyot Chenweno - in 2016.

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The twin victories, for the pair, ensured that Kenyan runners kept up the tradition of reigning supreme in the 42.195km race in Rwanda, having swept wins in both full marathons since 2024.

To keep up with the trend, a pair of Kenyans joined Lumbasi on the podium, with Shadrack Kimining and Bernard Kipkorir completing the sweep in second and third respectively.

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Kimining, a former event half marathon champion, clocked 2:15.18, with Kipkorir rounding off the bronze medal position in 2:16.22.

Behind Jeruto, however, was the Ethiopian duo of Tegest Ayalew and Tsega Desta, who finished second and third respectively, timing 2:36.15 and 2:36.54.

The gold medal winners were awarded a cash prize of $20,000 USD (Ksh2,589,00), with silver and bronze medalists earning $4,000 (Ksh518,000) and $3,000 (Ksh 388,000) respectively.

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