Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena and Wede Kefale won Sunday’s Hong Kong half marathon on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, as African athletes took the first ten places in the men’s race and the first seven in the women’s.
The results, published by World Athletics, round off a strong year for Gobena and confirm how East African runners, with South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba and two Moroccans among them, dominate the road-race circuit in Asia.
Who won the Hong Kong half marathon?
Gobena, 22, won the men’s race in 1 hour, 1 minute and 35 seconds. His compatriot Aliyi Kasim was second in 1:02:31 and Kenya’s Alex Lenalepisho, 18, third in 1:02:50, according to World Athletics.
Kefale, 26, won the women’s race in 1:09:04, seven seconds ahead of Xaba (1:09:11), with Ethiopia’s Fantu Worku third in 1:09:16. It was Kefale’s first win in six half marathons, the South China Morning Post reported.
How did African runners do in the Hong Kong half marathon?
They filled the top of both results lists. In the men’s race, Morocco’s Othmane El Goumri was fourth in 1:03:09, followed by Kenya’s Asbel Kiplimo in 1:03:34. Kenyan and Ethiopian runners took the rest of the top ten, and the first non-African finisher, China’s Fu Qiguang, was 11th in 1:06:47.
In the women’s race, Ethiopians Baraky Redae and Asmarech Anley were fourth and fifth, Kenya’s Miriam Chebet sixth and Morocco’s Fatima Ezzahra Birdaha seventh in 1:11:25. Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei was eighth, ahead of two more Ethiopians and a Kenyan.
Xaba, 31, was the only South African in either top ten. The best placed Asian woman, China’s Li Yuan, finished 12th in 1:17:22, more than eight minutes behind Kefale, World Athletics data show.
What does the win mean for Addisu Gobena?
Gobena’s time was well outside the personal best of 59:17 he set last year, the South China Morning Post reported, on a course it described as undulating. The race is listed as a Gold Label event on the World Athletics results page.
The win caps a breakout year. Gobena, who the newspaper said began his athletics career as a javelin thrower, won the Sydney Marathon in August, cutting almost 90 seconds from the course record, according to the same report. He told the newspaper he was now aiming at world and Olympic titles.
What is next for Africa’s road runners?
The organisers want to make the bridge race an annual fixture, but said they would need to begin talks with several government departments, the South China Morning Post reported. About 8,000 runners took part in the Hong Kong half marathon, with another 2,000 in a new 10km race, the South China Morning Post reported.
Africa’s younger athletes also had a strong month: the continent’s teams won a record 74 medals at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which ended on Friday.
FAQ
Who won the Hong Kong half marathon in 2026?
Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena won the men’s race in 1:01:35 and his compatriot Wede Kefale won the women’s race in 1:09:04, according to World Athletics.
Where did South Africa’s Glenrose Xaba finish?
Xaba was second in the women’s race in 1:09:11, seven seconds behind Kefale.
Where is the Hong Kong half marathon run?
The race is run on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which crosses the Pearl River estuary. World Athletics lists it as a Gold Label race.
Did any non-African runner make the top ten?
No. African athletes took the first ten places in the men’s race, and China’s Fu Qiguang was the first non-African finisher, in 11th.
