Lemma, Bekele and Beriso return to a Valencia Marathon packed with great debutants on 1 December
The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich confirms the main international elite athletes who will arrive in Valencia with the intention of ensuring it continues to be among the fastest marathons in the world. The race, organised by SD Correcaminos and Valencia City Council, is the fourth fastest marathon in the men’s category, thanks to the time achieved by Sisay Lemma last year (2:01:48) and the Ethiopian athlete will take to the start line on 1 December.
In the men’s category, in addition to Sisay Lemma, the three-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion Kenenisa Bekele will return. The Ethiopian (2:01:41) returns to the city of running after finishing fourth last year. The debut by Hillary Kipkoech will also be the focus of much attention. The Kenyan knows all about running in Valencia, as he was one of Lemma’s pacemakers in 2023, and his best time in a half marathon was also achieved in the city of running last year (59:22).
Also making his debut will be Sebastian Sawe, half marathon world champion who previously finished fifth in the Valencia Half Marathon 2023 and who holds a personal best over that distance of 58:05, and Daniel Mateiko, who has not yet finished a 42,195-metre race, but has just finished second in the Valencia Half Marathon 2024 (58:17), one of the seven half marathons he has run in 58 minutes (three of them in Valencia).
The Ethiopian athletes Megertu Alemu (2:16:34), Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:17:59) y Tiruye Mesfin (2:18:47) will compete against Uganda’s Stella Chesang (2:20:23) and the USA’s Sara Hall (2:20:32).
The list of international men and women completing the elite field in Valencia includes athletes who are coming to Valencia eager to make the most of its fast course to try and potentially break more than 20 national records.
Marc Roig, the international elite coach for the event, has stated “once again this year, the combination of established names and ambitious newcomers offers a great spectacle. And having both the men’s and women’s record holders in the race makes it even more fascinating. Will they be able to lower the time even further? Or will it be the outsiders who will be successful? As always, it is impossible to predict what will happen in Valencia”.
