Bere Ayalew smashes course record to headline historic women’s Casablanca Marathon

The 17th edition of the International Marathon of Casablanca delivered an absolute masterclass in distance running on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Under bright skies and fueled by the electric energy of thousands of spectators lining the streets of Morocco’s economic capital, the elite women’s division stole the spotlight. In a thrilling display of tactical execution and pure athletic dominance, Ethiopia’s Bere Ayalew claimed a magnificent victory, stopping the clock at a spectacular, course-record time of 2:25:21.

The flat, fast coastal layout of the North African city lived up to its billing, prompting aggressive pacing splits from the opening gun and providing a historic platform for established global stars and hometown heroes alike.

Entering the event as one of the pre-race heavyweights, Ayalew carried herself with the poise of an experienced championship racer. The elite field began their 42.195-kilometer journey along a scenic, circular loop weaving through Casablanca’s grand architectural landmarks and bustling oceanfront vistas. From the outset, the lead pacemakers established an ambitious tempo targeting the elusive sub-2:26 barrier.

Ayalew comfortably tucked herself into the slipstream of the leading vanguard, letting her rivals absorb the early coastal crosswinds. The decisive tactical chess match reached its peak around the 32-kilometer mark. Sensing a lull in the lead pack’s rhythm, Ayalew launched a punishing, lingering surge that immediately fractured the competition.
Striding with immense technical fluidity, she covered the final stretch entirely unchallenged. Her blistering finish of 2:25:21 did more than just capture the ultimate crown—it shattered the previous Casablanca course record, cementing her legacy in Moroccan road racing history.

While Ayalew walked away with the top spot, the single loudest roar of the morning belonged to local favorite Soukaina Atanane. The Moroccan national standout executed a brave, calculated race plan on home soil. Refusing to panic when Ayalew launched her late-stage breakaway, Atanane locked into a metronomic tempo to methodically distance herself from the East African chasing pack.

Atanane crossed the line in a phenomenal 2:26:40 to claim the silver medal. For the local spectators, her podium finish was a monumental victory that highlighted the rising tide of elite Moroccan female distance running. Crossing the line well under the 2:27 mark, Atanane’s gritty performance stands as a definitive milestone in her professional career and proves she can stand toe-to-toe with the world’s finest marathoners.

Completing the star-studded podium was Kenya’s Gladys Cherop (Longari). Stepping into uncharted territory, Cherop was making her highly anticipated official marathon debut on the streets of Casablanca. Showing zero signs of rookie intimidation, she was an aggressive animator of the front pack for the majority of the morning.

Though the heavy toll of the final miles compromised her ability to follow Atanane’s late gear change, Cherop showcased immense structural discipline to protect her position. She stopped the clock at a world-class debut mark of 2:27:21 to lock down the bronze medal. Her performance positions her as an incredibly dangerous force to watch on the global marathon circuit moving forward.

The incredible depth of this year’s international field was fully demonstrated by the standard of the remaining top-five positions. Ethiopia’s decorated Sofia Assefa—the Olympic steeplechase silver medalist who successfully transitioned her elite track engine to the roads—produced a deeply commendable performance. Assefa battled through the late-stage muscular fatigue brought on by the heavy tarmac tempo to finish fourth in a stellar 2:27:47.

Rounding out the elite vanguard was Morocco’s resilient Hasna Zahi. No stranger to the high pressure of this event, Zahi showcased excellent tactical patience to move her way up through the field in the second half of the race. She bookended the upper tier by stopping the clock at exactly 2:28:00, satisfying local enthusiasts with two Moroccans safely inside the top five.

The 2026 edition of the Casablanca Marathon will be remembered as a transformative chapter for the African Label Road Race circuit. By delivering sub-2:26 course-record times and intense, multi-national battles, the event has firmly established its reputation as a premiere fast-course destination. For Bere Ayalew, the gold medal represents a career-defining pinnacle, while the superb depth behind her signals a thrilling era of parity in global distance running.