Taipei:More than 20,000 runners participated in the 2026 EVA Air Marathon in Taipei on Sunday, where Kenya's Amos Cheruiyot Kirui and the Philippines' Michelle Zamora emerged victorious in the men's and women's half marathon titles, respectively, despite facing wet conditions.

According to Focus Taiwan, Kirui completed the men's half marathon in a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 56 seconds. Taiwan's Chou Ting-yin was the fastest domestic finisher, recording a time of 10722 to win the Taiwanese men's title. Chou noted that the high humidity made the latter stages of the race more challenging, but he commended the flat course and the organizers for the smooth execution of the event.

The marathon took place following Tropical Storm Champi, which had brought wind gusts and significant rainfall to Taiwan in the days leading up to the race. Zamora secured victory in the women's half marathon with a time of 12149, while Taiwan's Hsieh Chien-ho finished as the fastest domestic runner with a time of 12200, claiming the Taiwanese women's title. Hsieh expressed that it was her best performance in the past year and considered the race a warm-up for the upcoming Taipei Marathon in December.

In the full marathon category, Japan's Yoshiki Nagano won the men's title with a time of 22425, and the Philippines' Art Joy Torregosa took the women's title with a time of 25130. EVA Air President Clay Sun stated that the organizers were dedicated to holding the event despite the storm's challenges, prioritizing the safety of both runners and race personnel.