Kenyan Marathoner in Italy Stuns with Record-Breaking Win at Venice Marathon, Sparking Diaspora Pride

Country: Italy
Date Published: December 2, 2025

NAIROBI – A Kenyan athlete living in Italy has ignited a firestorm of national pride on social media after clinching a stunning victory at the Venice Marathon, shattering the course record in the process. Emmanuel Kisanji, a 28-year-old long-distance runner based in Milan, crossed the finish line in an astonishing 2:05:42 on Sunday, eclipsing the previous record by over a minute. The triumph, captured in viral videos and photos shared across X (formerly Twitter), has drawn thousands of celebratory posts from Kenyans at home and abroad, with users hailing him as the "new king of the roads."

Kisanji's win was the talk of X starting late Sunday evening, with verified Kenyan sports accounts like @CitiZenTVSports and @K24Tv leading the charge. A thread by influencer @RunKenyaRun, which garnered over 15,000 likes and 5,000 retweets by Monday morning, detailed Kisanji's journey from the Rift Valley training grounds to European circuits. "From Iten to Venice! 🇰🇪💨 Emmanuel Kisanji just rewrote history. Who's next? #KenyanPower #VeniceMarathon," the post read, sparking discussions on the dominance of Kenyan runners abroad. Regular users chimed in with personal stories, one Nairobi-based tweep @ValleyRunnerKE noting, "My cousin trained with him back home. Hard work pays! Italy is home now but Kenya forever."

The victory comes amid a broader conversation on X about the Kenyan diaspora's contributions to athletics, blending triumph with subtle debates on brain drain. While many posts celebrated Kisanji's success— including a shoutout from former marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum's family account @KiptumLegacy—others highlighted challenges faced by athletes abroad, such as visa hurdles and homesickness. News outlet @StandardSports shared footage of Kisanji draped in the Kenyan flag post-race, dedicating his win to "my people back home struggling with taxes and life," a nod to ongoing Kenyan economic woes that resonated deeply, amassing 20,000 engagements.

Kisanji, who moved to Italy three years ago on a sports scholarship, told reporters on site (as quoted in X clips from @RAI_Sport) that his record-breaking performance was fueled by "the spirit of Kenya." The buzz has already boosted registrations for upcoming marathons, with users tagging major events like Boston and London. As discussions continue to trend under #KisanjiVenice and #KenyansAbroad, the story underscores the unyielding prowess of Kenyan talent on global stages, even as it prompts calls for better support systems for diaspora athletes returning home.