The 2025 Barcelona Marathon third-place finisher Enock Onchari and 2016 Tokyo marathon champion Helah Jelagat are set to spearhead Kenya’s assault at Sunday’s Xiamen Marathon.
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Onchari lines up in Xiamen, riding the crest of a superb 2025 campaign. He launched his season on March 16 with a podium finish at the Barcelona Marathon, clocking 2:05:20.
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Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Deriba took top honours in 2:04:13, with Kenya’s Cornelius Kiplagat settling for second in 2:04:54.
The 26-year-old then stamped his authority with a commanding victory at the Padova Marathon on April 27, stopping the clock at 2:11:48.
He comfortably held off Uganda’s Victor Kwemboi (2:12:30) and compatriot Ishmael Kalale (2:14:40) to seal the win.
Onchari crowned his 2025 campaign with yet another emphatic performance, storming to victory at the Harbin Marathon in China in 2:10:51.
Daniel Sang (2:10:58) and Ethiopia’s Challa Gossa (2:10:59) completed the podium.
On Sunday, Onchari will toe the Xiamen line alongside fellow Kenyan Boaz Kipkemei, who is also enjoying a productive run of form.
Kipkemei opened his 2025 season in style with victory at the Chongqing Marathon, clocking 2:07:18, before finishing sixth at the Copenhagen Marathon in 2:13:03.
He, however, closed out the year in emphatic fashion, powering to victory at the Nanjing Marathon in 2:12:00.
The Kenyan duo will, however, face stern resistance from a formidable Ethiopian contingent led by defending champion Dawit Wolde.
In the women’s race, Jelagat will be keen to ignite her season on a positive note after a mixed bag of results in 2025.
Last year, the experienced marathoner finished second at the Guadalajara Half Marathon in Mexico in 1:10:23, placed eighth at the Wuhan Marathon in 2:31:59 and completed the year with a runner-up finish at the Taiyuan Marathon in 2:26:40.
She will be joined in Xiamen by 2011 African junior 1,500m bronze medallist Stacy Ndiwa and the 2024 Tallinn Marathon champion Mercy Kwambai, bolstering Kenya’s depth in the women’s field.
Ndiwa’s marathon resume last year saw her finish ninth at the Boston Marathon, where she clocked a solid 2:23:29.
Standing between Kenya and a dominant showing in Xiamen is a strong Ethiopian challenge led by defending champion Ruti Aga.
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