Fastest Five Marathoners in 2021

It has been a year that winning was more on focus rather than fast times. Olympic championships didn’t make the top five list.

Whilst the all-time marathon great Eliud Kipchoge added another Olympic gold to his career, he finished the year 14th with his fastest time of 2:04:30. Putting the marathon races on target after her recent half marathon achievements, Peres Jepchirchir triumphed in the two events she participated, the Olympic Games and the New York Marathon, however, her 2:22:39 from New York placed her only to 24th in the top lists.

Titus Ekiru, who hadn’t finished a marathon since December 2019, not only topped the 2021 list with the 2:02:57 he ran in Milan in May, but also he became the sixth man to go sub-2:03 in history. On the women’s side, it is Joyciline Jepkosgei in the lead with her London Marathon wining time 2:17:43.

Even though the Turkish marathon runners achieved a few personal bests during the year, it was a disappointment to have only one finisher, Yavuz Ağralı, at the Olympic Games in Tokyo where Turkey had qualified with four athletes. The most memorable performance of the year came in Istanbul’s relatively hard course when Hüseyin Can broke the 36-year-old National U23 Record. 

Top five athletes in the marathon list of 2021 are as follows;

Men's marathon World list:
2:02:57  Titus Ekiru, Kenya (Milan, 16 May)
2:03:36  Bashir Abdi, Belgium (Rotterdam, 24 October)
2:03:39  Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia (Amsterdam, 17 October)
2:03:55  Reuben Kiprop Kipyego, Kenya (Milan, 16 May)
2:04:01  Sisay Lemma, Ethiopia (London, 3 October)

Men's marathon Turkish list:
2:09:45  Polat Kemboi Arıkan (Valencia, 5 December)
2:12:15  Ömer Alkanoğlu (Trabzon, 21 February)
2:13:54  Üzeyir Söylemez (Trabzon, 21 February)
2:16:02  Hüseyin Can (Istanbul, 7 November)
2:17:06  Mert Girmalegese (Istanbul, 7 November)

Women's marathon World list:
2:17:43  Joyciline Jepkosgei, Kenya (London, 3 October)
2:17:57  Angela Tanui, Kenya (Amsterdam, 17 October)
2:17:58  Degitu Azimeraw, Ethiopia (London, 3 October)
2:18:18  Ashete Bekere, Ethiopia (London, 3 October)
2:18:40  Brigid Kosgei, Kenya (London, 3 October)

Women's marathon Turkish list:
2:29:08  Meryem Erdoğan (Milan, 16 May)
2:34:30  Tubay Erdal (Sofia, 10 October)
2:34:52  Fadime Çelik (Trabzon, 21 February)
2:43:33  Esma Aydemir (Furstenfeld, 23 May)
2:50:18  Dilan Atak (Izmir, 11 April)