Moroccan runners dominate Malta Marathon, Farley retains women’s crown

Poland’s Janczak tops Half Marathon; Hungarian Filo wins women’s race

Moroccan runner Aziz Ait Ourkia is the winner of the 2025 Life Star Malta Marathon after putting on a strong performance in the popular long-distance race on Sunday.

Ourkia completed the distance in two hours, 15 minutes, and 20 seconds to secure victory in a race dominated by Moroccan runners.

The 2025 LifeStar Malta Marathon attracted a record 5,100 athletes, 2,600 of whom came from 80 different countries.

The top four positions of the 42.1km race were filled by athletes coming from Morocco as Ourkia was followed home by Moussab Hadout who clocked 2:15.33 while the Lhoussaine Oukrid completed the podium with a time of 2:16.12.

Ourkia dominated the race once he moved the way from a five-man group just outside Ta’ Qali and from then on he ran a solitary race to finish well clear of his fellow compatriots and secure his first ever victory in the Malta Maraton.

Ourkia’s time was just over two minutes slower from the record time set by another Moroccan runner Alaa’ Hrioued who had triumphed in the 2023 race in a time of 2:13.18.

“I am very happy,” Ourkia said.

“I would like to thank the organisers for hosting this marathon. This was my first marathon here and I really enjoyed it. The route was very fast in the final part and I enjoyed it.”

Charlton Debono, of Evolve Endurance Club, was the first Maltese runner home when he finished in sixth place on 2:29.19.

Debono finished ahead of team-mate Andrew Grech who placed in seventh place on 2:30.58.

“I am very happy with my performance as this was the first time that I competed in the Malta Marathon,” Debono said.

“To be honest I didn’t know what to expect but I am pleased to have finished as the first Maltese runner home and clocked a time under the 2:30 barrier.

“I did struggle in the final part of the race as this course is a bit tricky with uphills and downhill patches and the body goes through a bit of a strain.

“But overall I am happy and I look forward to clock a faster time in the next few years.”

In the women’s race, British runner Jemima Farley, who lives and trains in Malta, just missed out on improving her own course record set last year when finishing in first place in a time of two hours 35 minutes and 48 seconds.

Farley, who is registered with the Ladies Running Club, was just seven seconds slower than her own record of 2:35.41 achieved in the 2024 race.

“It’s a great satisfaction to win again,” she said.

“I had some problems physically as I felt some cramps in my foot and I was just hoping to be able to finish the race.

“But overall, I am very happy with my performance irrespective of managing to break my record or not, particularly with the problems I had.”

In the half marathon, Polish runner Filip Janczak secured overall victory after he crossed the finish line in one hour nine minutes and 44 seconds.

“I started slowly and was getting faster, faster in the downhill but I had a very good pace and in the end I managed to clock a personal best, so I’m happy about it,” Janczak said.

Maltese runners Mark Herrera and Tommy Wallbank were involved in a close sprint finish for second place.

It was Athleta Pembroke’s Herrera who outsprinted Wallbank when darting home in 1:09.54, just one second faster of the Mellieħa AC athlete.

For Herrera, Sunday’s performance was a remarkable improvement on his personal best as he managed to break the 1 hour ten-minute barrier.

“I am so pleased with my performance as this is the first time that I managed to go down under the 1:10 mark,” Herrera told the Times of Malta.

“My time today is two minutes 30 seconds faster of my previous personal best so obviously I am delighted. But this is the result of all the hard work I have put in the past few months and this result will give me more motivation to keep pushing.”

The women’s title went to Hungarian runner Edit Filo who dashed home in one hour 21 minutes and 19 seconds.

Filo finished ahead of Montenegrin Jelena Ivkovic who clocked 1:21:42 while third place went to New Zealand runner Isabella Natale who made it in 1:22.25.

Malta’s Rosalie Borg Cauchi just missed out on a place on the podium when finishing the race in 1:22.45.

As published in Times of Malta

Photos by Malta Marathon.

---