Kenyan runners were the toast of the party at the 2026 Kuala Lumpur Marathon in Malaysia, after dominating the men’s race with a podium sweep, and taking nine of the top 10 positions in the event.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsLeading the way for Kenya was Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo, who won the race win in a time of 2:21.19, pipping his countrymate and defending champion John Nzau Mwangangi, who claimed silver in a time of 2:21.27.##NAJAVA_MECA_9999600##Following the front duo in third was another Kenyan, Moses Kibet Kipsang, who took bronze clocking 2:21.32.“I did not really have a strategy for today. I came to the race deciding to give it a try,” Omullo, who was running his third marathon of the year, told the organizers post-race. “It was hot and humid, but I was lucky today.”Former world silver medalist eyeing Istanbul marathon titleBy virtue of his win, Kemboi, a third-placed finisher at last year’s Nairobi Standard Chartered Marathon, took home a cool prize purse worth US$15,000 (Ksh1.9 million).To extend Kenya’s superiority in the World Athletics Elite Label race, six other Kenyans joined the leading trio in the top 10 places, with the only exception being Ethiopia’s Asmera Tamiru Beshir, who finished seventh in a time of 2:22.28.In fourth and fifth positions were Samuel Kalalei and James Tallam, who clocked 2:21.34 and 2:21.40 respectively.Sabastian Sawe reveals the athlete he backs to break the women’s marathon world recordJust ahead of the aforementioned Beshir in sixth was Julius Kipkorir Tuwei, who crossed the finish line in a time of 2:22.10.The last three spots in the top 10 were meanwhile taken by the trio of Vincent Kipsang Mutai (2:23.08), Edwin Cheruiyot Soi (2:23.53) and Felix Kipsang Mutai, who clocked 2:25.24 in tenth position.Naomi Korir's 13-year battle that almost denied her a career in runningOn the women’s side, however, Kenya did not have a similar type of dominance, with the duo of Lucy Nthenya Ndambuki and Caroline Cheptonui Kilel being forced to take silver and bronze, behind the eventual race winner Alemitu Ajema Lema of Ethiopia.Ajema took the win in a time of 2:39.29, with Ndambuki and Kilel clocking 2:39.59 and 2:40.17 respectively.##NAJAVA_MECA_10003031##A record number of 43,800 participants from 53 countries signed up for the 18th edition of the marathon, with 3,600 being international participants.