A Milan with a racing heartbeat set the stage today for the 24th edition of the Wizz Air Milano Marathon. On a cool day — ideal running conditions — a city in celebration cheered on 30,000 runners tackling the 42.195 km course, delivering emotion, spectacle, records, and many tearful finishes at the finish line.
All participation records were broken, with 15,000 runners registered for the Wizz Air Milano Marathon and 16,000 for the UniCredit Relay Marathon. Added to this were 10,000 participants in Saturday’s events — the Enel Family Run and the Arcaplanet Dog Run — bringing the total to over 40,000 runners involved, the highest ever.
A new record was also set for the Charity Program, opened this year to marathon runners as well as relay participants. As of today, fundraising on the Rete del Dono platform — partner of the initiative — has reached €2 million, compared to €1.8 million last year. The goal is to close at €2.2 million.
The new race course, redesigned as a point-to-point route rather than a loop, with a revamped opening section and a start from Corso Sempione, proved to be very fast: the 2026 edition recorded the best women’s time of the year on Italian soil, while the men’s best time of the year was missed by just three seconds.
The event concluded a week organized by RCS Sports & Events and dedicated to sport, with the Milano Running Festival hosted at Superstudio Maxi, which recorded over 50,000 attendance between Thursday and Saturday at the Milano Running Festival.
THE WIZZ AIR MILANO MARATHON
The new king of the Marathon is Kenya’s Vitalis Kibiwott, who won the 24th Wizz Air Milano Marathon in 2:06:35. Second place went to Amos Kiprotich Kiplagat (Kenya) in 2:08:14, followed by Laban Kiplimo (Kenya) in 2:08:23.
A fantastic performance in the women’s race came from Ethiopia’s Yeshii Kalayu Chekole, who clocked 2:20:15 — the fastest women’s time on Italian soil this year and the second-fastest ever in the history of the Wizz Air Milano Marathon. Runner-up was fellow Ethiopian Iddeessaa Eebbisee Addunyaa in 2:21:13, with Sintayehu Tilahun Getahun (Ethiopia) third in 2:25:29.
Xavier Chevrier finished ninth overall and was the top Italian finisher with a time of 2:11:50. A leading figure in Italian mountain running, he was making his marathon debut.
MEN’S RESULTS
Vitalis Kibiwott (Kenya) – 2:06:35
Amos Kiprotich Kiplagat (Kenya) – 2:08:14
Laban Kiplimo (Kenya) – 2:08:23
WOMEN’S RESULTS
Yeshii Kalayu Chekole (Ethiopia) – 2:20:15 (ASICS athlete)
Iddeessaa Eebbisee Addunyaa (Ethiopia) – 2:21:13
Sintayehu Tilahun Getahun (Ethiopia) – 2:25:29
But the elite runners were only part of the spectacle of a magnificent day of sport. Athletes from all over the world took to the course: with 65% international participants, the Wizz Air Milano Marathon confirmed its global appeal, attracting runners from every corner of the globe. The top five represented countries were France (2,735 participants), Great Britain (1,496), Germany (488), Belgium (420), and Ireland (346).
Female participation also increased, reaching 23%. The most represented age groups were evenly distributed: 20–29 (27%), 30–39 (28%), and 40–49 (23%).
The new start from Corso Sempione proved a successful choice, offering a point-to-point course rather than a loop, with the finish line once again in Piazza del Duomo. The new старт, with the Arco della Pace as a backdrop, allowed for improved runner flow and enhanced services.
THE RACE
Kenya’s Vitalis Kibiwott claimed victory with a new personal best of 2:06:35, following a tactically intelligent and mature race. The decisive move came at the 36th kilometer, when he surged ahead with a powerful breakaway, quickly building a decisive gap over his rivals.
Second place went to Kenya’s Amos Kiplagat in 2:08:14, while Laban Kiplimo (Kenya) secured third in 2:08:23 — a personal best achieved despite an early fall during the race.
For Italy, Xavier Chevrier delivered an excellent performance, finishing ninth overall in 2:11:50. A semi-professional athlete and a cornerstone of Italian mountain running, he impressed on his marathon debut.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Yeshii Kalayu Chekole delivered a dominant, aggressive performance from the start, securing an uncontested victory in 2:20:15. Her time marks a personal best, the second-fastest ever in the history of the Wizz Air Milano Marathon, and the best women’s marathon performance of 2026 on Italian soil.
Second place went to Ethiopia’s Eebbisee Addunyaa Iddeessaa in 2:21:13, completing an all-Ethiopian podium together with Sintayehu Tilahun Getahun, third in 2:25:29.
THE UNICREDIT RELAY MARATHON
Great enthusiasm surrounded the UniCredit Relay Marathon, which divides the 42.195 km into four legs. A total of 16,000 runners, representing 4,000 teams, took turns along the course from Corso Sempione to the finish in Via Palestro.
The Charity Program was once again a major success. Opened this year also to marathon runners, it benefited from donations by companies and participants through crowdfunding campaigns run by 140 official charities — 37 more than in 2025. Fundraising has already reached €2 million on the Rete del Dono platform, with a target of €2.2 million.
UNICREDIT RELAY MARATHON 2026 RESULTS
Team PWC 53 – 2:05:40
Milano Track Fanatix – 2:08:47
Asics Ready 2 Run 1 – 2:17:36
QUOTES
Urbano Cairo, Chairman and CEO of RCS MediaGroup:
“A Wizz Air Milano Marathon that continues to grow steadily, also in terms of participation. Today we reached a total of 40,000 runners across all events. An incredible result and a significant step forward compared to last year. Seeing 15,000 marathon runners at the старт in Corso Sempione was truly spectacular, with very fast finishing times. The charitable fundraising also performed very well, already surpassing last year’s results and aiming beyond €2 million — an important achievement.”
Martina Riva, Councillor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies of the City of Milan:
“Seeing the city celebrating, filled with thousands of runners, is always emotional. Milan loves the marathon, and the marathon loves Milan. The record number of participants and strong international presence confirm the value of this event, both from a sporting and tourism perspective.”
Paolo Bellino, CEO of RCS Sports & Events:
“It was a wonderful four days of sport, culminating in the Wizz Air Milano Marathon. The start from Corso Sempione was a great success. The three waves of 5,000 runners were spectacular. The city’s participation was outstanding, both at the start and along the course. A fantastic weekend, further enriched by Saturday’s events, which involved nearly 10,000 people. Above all, we set a new record in charitable fundraising, with €2 million raised and a target of €2.2 million — a result that highlights the strong charitable spirit of the Milano Marathon.”
Salvatore Gabriele Imperiale, Corporate Communications Manager at Wizz Air:
“With the Wizz Air Milano Marathon, Milan once again proved in 2026 to be a true capital of international sport, capable of attracting thousands of people from all over the world and turning every street into a symbol of participation and sharing.”
Remo Taricani, Deputy Head of Italy at UniCredit:
“Supporting the Relay Marathon for the third consecutive year makes us particularly proud. The energy seen confirms that sport is a powerful tool for inclusion and community building.”
Federica Picchi, Undersecretary for Sport and Youth of Regione Lombardia:
“The Wizz Air Milano Marathon is not only a great celebration of sport and community, but also a powerful driver of solidarity, thanks to the opportunity to run while supporting charities.”
Xavier Chevrier, top Italian finisher:
“It was a beautiful journey. A lot of effort, but always with a smile. I’m proud to have proven myself as a marathon runner.”
