Kibor locks target on a strong Barcelona outing to add to her growing marathon resume

Marion Kibor/ HANDOUT

The 2024 Stockholm Marathon champion Marion Kibor has set her sights on a commanding outing at the Barcelona Marathon on March 15, hoping to keep her flying form on the roads from last season intact.

Kibor had an impressive 2025 season on the roads and is keen to carry that momentum in Barcelona this month and sharpen her edge over the classic distance.

‎"My next race will be the Barcelona Marathon in March, which I hope to be ready for," Kibor said during the Third Athletics Kenya weekend meeting in Kapsabet.

‎Last year, Kibor launched her campaign in style, storming to victory at the Mexico Half Marathon where she clocked 1:12:48 to lead compatriot Daizy Rutto (1:15:37) and host athlete Kathia Garcia (1:19:19).

‎She then stepped up to the full marathon distance at the Beijing Marathon, where she dug deep to secure second place in 2:26:15, finishing behind Ethiopia’s Anchimalu Dessie (2:26:08).

Kibor, 32, has been steadily carving her name into the unforgiving marathon distance following a smooth and calculated transition from the track.

‎The distance ace made her maiden appearance over 42km at the 2019 La Rochelle Marathon in France, dominantly announcing herself by clinching the title.

She cut the tape in 2:29:51 to orchestrate a Kenyan podium sweep, leading Eunice Muchiri (2:31:38) and Jane Moraa (2:38:43).

‎Her second stab at the distance came in 2021 at the Venice Marathon in Italy, where she battled to a second-place finish in 2:31:17, trailing home favourite Sofiia Yaremchuk (2:29:12). Ethiopia’s Megertu Geletu completed the podium in 2:33:50.

‎In 2022, Kibor showed marked progression, placing second at the Geneva Marathon in 2:28:30 behind Ethiopia’s Meseret Dinke (2:26:22).

She later emphatically capped her season by reclaiming the La Rochelle title, clocking an impressive 2:25:15.

‎The 2023 campaign, however, proved turbulent.

At the Hamburg Marathon, she missed out on the podium, finishing fifth in 2:22:35 with Dorcas Tuitoek claiming victory in 2:20:09 ahead of Ethiopia’s Tiruye Mesfin (2:20:18) and Uganda’s Stella Chesang (2:20:23).

‎She wrapped up that season with a disappointing ninth-place finish at the Amsterdam Marathon, timing 2:24:26.

‎However, Kibor responded in 2024 with renewed fire, launching her season on a flying note by winning the Stockholm Marathon crown in 2:31:46.

That race saw her lead Ethiopia’s Sifan Melaku (2:32:54) and compatriot Ivyne Jeruto (2:34:01).

‎Her bid for redemption at the Amsterdam Marathon once again proved elusive, as she recorded another ninth-place finish in 2:23:56.