Ljubljana Marathon 2026: Onchari and Haylu Break Both Course Records on the 30th Anniversary

The 30th NLB Ljubljana Marathon did not need to manufacture a moment for its anniversary. It got one anyway. On a cool October morning in Ljubljana, both course records fell on the same day for the first time in the race’s three-decade history. Enock Onchari of Kenya ran 2:04:55 to break Sisay Lemma’s men’s mark that had stood since 2018. Then Haftamnesh Tesfay Haylu of Ethiopia crossed Kongresni trg in 2:19:17 to smash the women’s record by a full minute. The three women who stood on the podium all finished faster than the previous course record. All three. On the same day.

This was not a race that played out the way the pre-race form suggested. The expected narratives — Hillary Kipkoech chasing the men’s record, defending champion Tigist Gezahagn Menigstu going back-to-back — dissolved into something better. The runners who won were the ones who ran the smarter race on the day.

Men’s Marathon Results — Enock Onchari Breaks the Course Record

Enock Onchari came into Sunday as the fourth name on most people’s shortlists. His 2:05:20 personal best from 2025 put him in the conversation but not at the front of it. Hillary Kipkoech, with a 2:04:45 personal best and the fastest mark in the field, was the obvious favourite. Defending champion Haftamu Abadi Gebresilase had won this course before and knew what it asked of your legs.

What Onchari did was run his own race. When the finish board at Kongresni trg showed his name at the top in 2:04:55, it was three seconds inside Lemma’s record and 13 seconds ahead of Kipkoech, who finished second in 2:05:08. Oqbe Kibrom Ruesom of Eritrea came home third in 2:05:46, his best Ljubljana result.

Onchari’s winning time is a huge personal best — nearly 30 seconds faster than anything he had run before. The 25-year-old from Kenya took down a record set by a man who would go on to win the 2023 London Marathon. That context matters.

🔴 New course record. Previous men’s CR: 2:04:58 — Sisay Lemma (ETH), 2018. Source: NLB Ljubljana Marathon official results.

Women’s Marathon Results — Haylu Breaks the Record, All Three Podium Finishers Go Under the Old Mark

The women’s race produced something Ljubljana has never seen before. The previous course record was 2:20:17, set by Joyce Chepkemoi Tele in 2024. By the time the top three women crossed the finish line on Sunday, all three of them had run faster than that.

Haftamnesh Tesfay Haylu won in 2:19:17, a minute inside the old record and a massive improvement on her previous personal best of 2:20:13 from 2018. At 32, she ran the best marathon of her career on the biggest stage. Esther Chemtai Kipkech of Kenya finished second in 2:19:24, also inside the previous record. Defending champion Tigist Gezahagn Menigstu, who came in with a 2:20:06 personal best and the form of the field behind her, finished third in 2:20:04. She too ran faster than the old course record. She finished third.

To put that in perspective: the three women who finished off the podium at the 2024 Ljubljana Marathon would have set a new course record with today’s winning time. The standard of women’s marathon running here has moved significantly and this race just moved with it.

🔴 New course record. ★ Defending champion (2025). Previous women’s CR: 2:20:17 — Joyce Chepkemoi Tele (KEN), 2024. All three podium finishers ran faster than the previous course record. Source: NLB Ljubljana Marathon official results.

Half Marathon Generali ZAME Results — Villechenaud and Suljanovic Take the Titles

The half marathon, which shared Sunday’s start with the marathon on Slovenska cesta, produced wins for France and Slovenia. Antoine Villechenaud ran 1:03:43 to take the men’s title by a comfortable margin. Behind him, Jakob Medved gave the home crowd a reason to cheer with a second-place finish in 1:05:46. Gáspár Csere of Hungary rounded out the men’s podium in 1:07:22.

In the women’s half, Dora Suljanovic won for Slovenia in 1:17:17. Eva Filipiová of the Czech Republic finished second in 1:18:32. Julia Kuen of Italy claimed third in 1:18:54.

Men’s Half Marathon — Top 3

Women’s Half Marathon — Top 3

Garmin 10km Results — Botolin and Lukan Win for Slovenia

Saturday’s Garmin 10km opened the race weekend with a Slovenian double. Vid Botolin won the men’s race in 28:34 ahead of Filip Jančík (29:34) and Rok Markelj (30:41). Klara Lukan took the women’s title in 31:23, finishing well clear of Marcela Jokic (33:40) and Lea Haler (35:14).

Men’s 10km — Top 3

Women’s 10km — Top 3

Full results for all distances: ljubljanskimaraton.si/en/results