Yeman Crippa Makes History as First Italian Winner of Paris Marathon

Yeman Crippa delivered a landmark performance for Italian athletics on Sunday, storming to victory in the Paris Marathon in 2 hours 5 minutes 18 seconds. The 29-year-old Trentino runner, who was born in Ethiopia, carved his name into the record books as the first Italian ever to conquer the 42.195-kilometre classic, and became the first European to triumph in the French capital since 2002. His time, a personal best by almost a minute, ranks as the second-fastest by an Italian over the distance, trailing only Iliaas Aouani’s 2:04:26 in Tokyo. The achievement, witnessed by nearly 60,000 participants, also delivered a powerful statement of redemption after a disappointing Olympic outing on the same roads in 2024.

Crippa executed a near-perfect race, sitting in the lead pack before unleashing a decisive attack on a cobbled downhill section with roughly one-and-a-half kilometres to go. He dispatched a cluster of African favourites—Ethiopia’s Bayelign Teshager, Kenya’s Sila Kiptoo and Djibouti’s Mohamed Ismail—to cross the line alone under the Arc de Triomphe. The victory, achieved with a negative split, prompted an emotional Crippa to declare: “My marathon career begins today; I have finally found the right way.” The sentiment reflected both a professional rebirth and the fulfilment of potential that had long marked the former European cross-country champion.

While Crippa seized the spotlight in Paris, the same weekend offered a snapshot of a broader European revival on the roads. In Zurich, Switzerland’s Selina Ummel claimed a surprise third place in her home marathon, slashing her personal best by roughly five minutes to 2:39:13. She finished behind a Kenyan one-two, but her podium underlined Switzerland’s growing depth in women’s endurance running. In the men’s race, Kenya’s Davis Kiplangat took victory in 2:09:03. Meanwhile, an intriguing subplot unfolded back in Paris, where Swiss orienteering great Matthias Kyburz—an eight-time world champion in that discipline—finished as the fifth-best European in 13th place overall, demonstrating the expanding crossover appeal of elite endurance sports.

Viewed from Rome, Crippa’s triumph closes a gap that has yawned since the golden era of Italian marathon legends like Gelindo Bordin and Stefano Baldini. Analysts in London note that his performance, combined with the Swiss breakthroughs, signals a European distance-running landscape no longer content to play a supporting role to East African dominance. Crippa’s own progression—he had previously run 2:06:06 in Seville—suggests the 2025 season will be shaped by his ambition to challenge for world championship honours. “My career begins now,” he repeated, a declaration that resonates as both a personal mantra and a marker of Italy’s renewed road-running aspirations.