South Africa’s Melikhaya Frans won the men’s race at the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2:13:57. In the women’s race, Anna Oeser of Brookfield, Connecticut, took the win in her marathon debut, running 2:34:55.
Frans, 35, moved clear before halfway and held his advantage through the final stretch toward the Art Museum. “I did this for my team at home,” he said after the finish. Kenya’s Elisha Barno placed second in 2:15:07, with Milton Rotich third in 2:15:34. The front of the race formed early along the Schuylkill River and held its shape through the closing miles.
Oeser, 26, managed her first attempt at the distance with control from the middle stages of the race. She spoke afterward about the noise from spectators, particularly in Manayunk, saying the support surged at moments when the course grew quiet. Behind her, Michka-Mae Hyde finished second in 2:35:27, followed by Órla Rocha in 2:36:44. Jenna Gigliotti (2:39:36) and Isabel Meyers (2:43:12) completed the top five.
Philadelphia continued to expand competitive opportunities across categories, with a growing nonbinary division. Bryce Ott finished first in 3:20:15, followed by Marcus Carmicle and Ry Martin-Yates.
The race sold out this year, and saw more than 36,000 runners across the marathon, half marathon, 8K, and kids’ events throughout the weekend, drawing participants from roughly 60 countries. The elite fields saw stable positioning throughout, with no major changes once the leaders broke away.
This year’s champions were awarded golden olive wreaths handcrafted in Marathon, Greece, a tradition the race has adopted in recent years. Frans and Oeser leave Philadelphia with clear wins, and their results set the tone for the rest of the professional fields, which ran largely as expected on a cool November morning.
Women’s Top 5:
1. Anna Oeser – 2:34:55.56
2. Michka-Mae Hyde – 2:35:27.19
3. Órla Rocha – 2:36:44.43
4. Jenna Gigliotti – 2:39:36.10
5. Isabel Meyers – 2:43:12.36
Men’s Top 5:
1. Melikhaya Frans – 2:13:57.74
2. Elisha Barno – 2:15:07.97
3. Milton Rotich – 2:15:34.21
4. Kristoffer Mugrage – 2:16:04.75
5. Bradley Makuvire – 2:18:19.58
Nonbinary Division Top 3:
1. Bryce Ott – 3:20:15
2. Marcus Carmicle – 3:36:25
3. Ry Martin-Yates – 3:37:20
