Korir or Lemma, Jepchirchir or Rengeruk for the win in Valencia: Americans Bates, D’Amato, Flanagan and Young to challenge top-10

The 2025 Valencia Marathon organizers have confirmed the initial list of international athletes who will be running in the Ciudad del running on December 7. The goal is to maintain Valencia’s position among the world’s elite athletics competitions; therefore, the fields that are assembled are world-class. We should see at least a sub-2:03 and sub-2:15 from the men and women listed below.

Women

The competition for the win will be between veteran Ethiopian Amane Beriso and Kenyans Peres Jepchirchir and Lilian Kasait Regeruk.

Beriso won the 2022 edition and set the current record at 2:14:58. Jepchirchir, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Champion, has a PB of 2:16:16. She also took gold in the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Also in the mix is Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosge, who has run 2:16:24. 

For Americans, it will be interesting to see how Emma Bates, Keira D’Amato and Lindsay Flanagan all do. They are seeded fourth, 12th and 14th.

D’Amato owns a best of 2:19:12, while Bates and Flanagan hold PBs of 2:23:18 and 2:23:31, respectively. The question on everyone’s mind will be, does D’Amato still have it at age 41? It has been nearly four years since she ran her PB in Houston. The last time that she ran well was at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, where she clocked a fast 2:21:48. Since then, she has not run nearly as well, recording post-2:30 finishes. She is likely still a sub-2:25 runner on the right day.

Charlotte Purdue of the UK, with her best of 2:22:17, is ranked sixth. Fellow Brit Rose Harvey is running; her best is three minutes slower, set this year in London at 2:25:01.

There is a trifecta of Australian women seeking to perform well. They are Jessica Stenson (2:22:56), Isobel Batt-Doyle (2:22:59) and Genevieve Gregson with her 2:23:08.

The top international women competing also includes promising newcomers such as Sarah Chelangat and Lilian Kasait. The 24-year-old Chalangat two years ago moved up from middle distances to longer events, including setting the Ugandan national 10,000m record at 30:24.04 in May last year. Her half-marathon best is now 1:07:59 from 2023.

Kasait has run a world-class half-marathon finishing in 1:03:32 in Valencia last year. It is the fourth-fastest performance in history and only 40 seconds adrift of world record holder Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia. If she can carry that level of performance on for another 21.1 kms, she should be able to podium and perhaps set a new course record.

Kasait also goes by the surname Rengeruk and is listed as having the sixth-fastest 10,000m time of 29:26.89 from the 2024 Eugene Diamond League meet.

In September 2022, Rengeruk received a ban from athletics for a period of 10 months commencing April 2022 for the use of the hormone therapy drug Letrozole.

Men

In the men’s race, Sisay Lemma may be the fastest with his rarified-air performance of 2:01:48 from his 2023 Valencia win. However, a late addition to the field is Kenyan John Korir with his PB of 2:02:44, looking to rebound after a DNF in Chicago.

Running for European countries are Samuel Fitwi with his 2:04:56 and Amanal Petros, having clocked a 2:04:58, both representing Germany. They may challenge for the podium, but unless Lemma is unfit (to his standard), the 34-year-old should win again.

🎉 Happy 29th Birthday to John Korir! 🇰🇪

Wishing the reigning Boston Marathon champion a day of great joy and a truly blessed year ahead. Your victory in Boston, following your Chicago win, has been an immense source of pride and inspiration. pic.twitter.com/qkonusTnc9

— Kenya One Sports 🇰🇪 (@TonnyKe11) December 2, 2025

Kenyan Vincent Nyageo and Patrick Mosin are making their debuts. As the rule book for debut runners has been torn up and tossed out, they may also challenge for a podium spot, their first time out. Nyageo has run a 59:33 half-marathon. Mosin has a 58:44 PB. They are age 26 and 25, respectively.

A second international group will offer further competition, with top athletes from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and France, among others. Americans will be very interested in how Clayton Young goes. He has raced several times against his fellow American Connor Mantz, who will not be toeing the line in Valencia. Will this be Young’s time to step out of Mantz’s shadow and knock out a personal best?

Young has a PB of 2:08:00 from the 2023 Chicago Marathon. However, this year he ran the Boston marathon in 2:07:04, which may suggest a big new personal best for the 32-year-old.

Valencia offers the course for great performances. For example, the current world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum, and Sebastian Sawe of Kenya, debuted in Valencia. Kiptum, who went on to run 2:00:35, debut in Valencia at 2:02:53 in 2022. Sawe ran 2:02:05 last year in the Spanish city.

The current long-range forecast is for lows of 16C (60F) and highs of 20C (68F).

There are no Spanish elite athletes listed in the women’s and men’s races at this time.

Elite athletes