Kenya’s Alex Nzioka Matata returns to defend his Yangzhou Half Marathon title against Jemal Yimer and Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba on Sunday.
The race in Yangzhou was one of five half marathons that Kenya’s Matata won in 2025. He started by running a PB of 59:20 for victory in Ras Al Khaimah and followed that with wins in Meishan, Yangzhou in a course record of 59:31, Istanbul and New Delhi, dipping under 60 minutes at each.
He has picked up from where he left off, marking his 2026 road debut by retaining his title in Meishan in 59:51 two weeks ago.
Among those hoping to deny him another successful title defence will be Ethiopia’s Yimer, who is the fastest in the field when it comes to PBs. The two-time world half marathon fourth-place finisher clocked 58:33 in Valencia in 2018 and last month ran 58:55 to finish fourth in Ras Al Khaimah – the third-fastest time of his career so far.
Kenya’s Kipchumba hasn’t contested a half marathon since 2024 but proved his form at the start of this month, going close to his PB with 2:03:37 and narrowly missing out on victory at the Tokyo Marathon.
They will be joined by Solomon Kirwa Yego, who won the Shanghai Half Marathon earlier this month, plus last year’s Seoul Marathon runner-up Felix Kirwa, Asefa Boki, Victor Kipchirchir, Santiago Catrofe and Feng Peiyou.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Ftaw Zeray makes a return in half marathon action fresh off the PB of 1:05:12 she ran to win in Paris earlier this month.
That makes her the fastest in the field, as one of three women to have broken 66 minutes in their careers so far.
Zeray, who finished sixth in the world half marathon in Riga in 2023, races the distance for the third time this year having started her season with third place in the Burj2Burj Half Marathon.
She faces her Ethiopian compatriot Wede Kefale, who finished third in last year’s Copenhagen Half Marathon in 1:05:21 and began 2026 with a 10km PB of 29:55 in Valencia.
Kenya’s Gladys Chepkurui ran her PB of 1:05:46 in 2023 and last month clocked 1:10:25 in Ras Al Khaimah.
Ethiopia’s 2019 Tokyo Marathon champion Ruti Aga, who has made the podium for multiple World Marathon Majors, returned to half marathon action for the first time since 2020 in March, winning in Meishan in 1:08:04. Prior to that, she started her year by retaining her Xiamen Marathon title.
Her compatriot Megertu Alemu has also made multiple World Marathon Majors podiums – she was second in Chicago in October and finished fifth in Tokyo at the start of this month.
Lining up alongside them will be Miriam Chebet and Li Zhixuan, plus Stella Chesang, the Ugandan record-holder in the marathon and Osaka Women’s Marathon champion in January.
Leading entrants
Women
Ftaw Zeray (ETH) 1:05:12
Wede Kefale (ETH) 1:05:21
Gladys Chepkurui (KEN) 1:05:46
Miriam Chebet (KEN) 1:06:07
Ruti Aga (ETH) 1:06:39
Megertu Alemu (ETH) 1:06:43
Stella Chesang (UGA) 1:07:59
Li Zhixuan (CHN) 1:11:21
Men
Jemal Yimer Mekonnen (ETH) 58:33
Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) 59:13
Victor Kipchirchir (KEN) 59:19
Alex Nzioka Matata (KEN) 59:20
Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 59:29
Santiago Catrofe (URU) 1:00:21
Felix Kirwa (KEN) 1:01:49
Asefa Boki (ETH) 1:01:50
Feng Peiyou (CHN) 1:02:12
