In 11 days, the Valencia Marathon, fast becoming a world-class event, will speed through the Spanish city despite the devastation from historic flooding. The elite fields are as quick as they have ever been and this year’s event will have a greater purpose.
“We want to tell you that the Valencia Marathon will have three fundraising lines to help rebuild sports facilities and sports schools in the affected areas:
- One related to our sponsors.
- Another relating to the organisers themselves, using their own resources, donating three euros for each runner who reaches the finish line on 1 December.
- And finally, one related to you, the runners, or anyone who wants to join in, by donating to a number zero race bib on the donation platform set up for this purpose.
“All the proceeds from the sponsors, the organisation’s own funds and the runners will be donated in a transparent manner to one or more projects for the reconstruction of the affected areas. We will announce the exact destination in a transparent and public manner in the near future.”
The elite men
Valencia organizers have confirmed the elite athletes are among the fastest marathons in the world. The race, organized by SD Correcaminos and Valencia City Council, is the fourth fastest marathon in the men’s category. This is thanks to the time achieved by Ethiopian Sisay Lemma last year. He clocked a stunning 2:01:48. Also, there was the third fastest performance in the women’s category. Amane Beriso with her 2:14:58 achieved in 2022. Both athletes are current course record holders.
In addition to Lemma, the three-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion Kenenisa Bekele will return in the men’s category. The Ethiopian holds a personal best of 2:01:41. He returns to the city 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. He was one of Lemma’s pacemakers in 2023, and his best time in a half marathon is 59:22.
Also making his debut will be Sebastian Sawe. The half-marathon world champion previously finished fifth in the Valencia Half Marathon in 2023. He holds a personal best over that distance of 58:05. Also, there is Daniel Mateiko. He will debut, but has just finished second in the Valencia Half Marathon 2024 with his strong 58:17 performance. It was one of the seven half-marathons he has run in 58 minutes (three of them in Valencia).
Elite women
In the women’s race, Amane Beriso returns to Valencia. This is where she achieved her best marathon time in 2022 running 2:14:58. It is the fifth best time in the world. The Ethiopian athlete will compete with her compatriots Megertu Alemu (2:16:34), Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:17:59), Tiruye Mesfin (2:18:47), Uganda’s Stella Chesang (2:20:23) and the USA’s Sara Hall (2:20:32).
Beriso finished fifth at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games clocking 2:23:57 in the heat on the hilly course. In March 2024, she clocked a 2:16:58 during the Tokyo Marathon.
Two of the top 40-plus masters in the world Hall and Canadian Malindi Elmore, are racing. Elmore clocked 2:23:30, the second-fastest Canadian time in history, during the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Hall, three years younger at 41 had her latest performance during the Orlando, FLA US Olympic Trials where she ran 2:26:06.
Valencia is flat and fast and the world-class fields should produce great performances once again.
Elites
Women:
🇪🇹 Amane Beriso – 2:14:58
🇪🇹 Megertu Alemu – 2:16:34
🇪🇹 Hiwot Gebrekidan – 2:17:59
🇪🇹 Tiruye Mesfin – 2:18:47
🇺🇬 Stella Chesang – 2:20:23
🇺🇸 Sara Hall – 2:20:32
🇪🇸 Majida Maayouf – 2:21:27
🇰🇪 Evaline Chirchir – 2:22:11
🇪🇹 Chimdesa Kumsa – 2:22:13
🇦🇺 Isobel Batt-Doyle – 2:23:27
🇨🇦 Malindi Elmore – 2:23:30
🇪🇹 Sofia Assefa – 2:23:33
🇮🇪 Fionnuala McCormack – 2:23:58
🇦🇺 Jessica Stenson – 2:24:01
🇿🇦 Gerda Steyn – 2:24:03
🇩🇪 Laura Hottenrott – 2:24:32
🇫🇮 Camilla Richardsson – 2:24:38
🇪🇸 Kaoutar Boulaid – 2:25:03
🇬🇧 Clara Evans – 2:25:04
🇪🇸 Fatima Azzaharaa Ouhaddou – 2:25:30
🇪🇸 Laura Luengo – 2:25:35
🇵🇹 Susana Santos – 2:25:35
🇨🇿 Moira Stewartova – 2:25:36
🇲🇺 Marie Perrier – 2:26:19
🇨🇿 Tereza Hrochová – 2:26:38
🇰🇿 Zhanna Mamazhanova – 2:26:42
🇵🇱 Aleksandra Brzezinska – 2:27:20
🇵🇹 Solange Jesus – 2:27:30
🇪🇨 Paola Bonilla – 2:27:38
🇭🇺 Nora Szabo – 2:28:25
🇺🇸 Jane Bareikis – 2:29:00
🇬🇧 Becky Briggs – 2:29:06
🇬🇧 Alice Wright – 2:29:08
🇺🇸 Roberta Groner – 2:29:09
🇺🇸 Molly Gravill – 2:29:45
🇵🇱 Monika Jackiewicz – 2:29:51
Men:
🇪🇹 Kenenisa Bekele 2:01:41
🇪🇹 Sisay Lemma 2:01:48
🇪🇹 Birhanu Legese 2:02:48
🇪🇹 Deresa Geleta 2:03:27
🇪🇹 Guye Adola 2:03:46
🇮🇱 Gashau Ayale 2:04:53
🇨🇭 Tadesse Abraham 2:05:01
🇹🇿 Alphonce Simbu 2:05:39
🇳🇴 Sondre Moen 2:05:48
🇩🇪 Samwel Fitwi 2:06:27
🇪🇹 Andamlak Belihu 2:06:40
🇮🇱 Maru Teferi 2:06:43
🇺🇿 Shokhrukh Davlyatov 2:07:02
🇩🇪 Richard Ringer 2:07:05
🇳🇴 Zerei Kbrom 2:07:10
🇮🇹 Iliass Aouani 2:07:16
🇵🇹 Samuel Barata 2:07:35
🇧🇴 Héctor Garibay 2:07:44
🇪🇸 Ibrahim Chakir Elosri 2:07:48
🇲🇦 Mohamed El Talhaoui 2:08:03
🇨🇳 Peiyou Feng 2:08:07
🇪🇸 Dani Mateo 2:08:22
🇧🇪 Lahsene Bouchikhi 2:08:36
🇫🇷 Abderrazak Charik 2:08:37
🇦🇺 Andy Buchanan 2:08:58
🇳🇴 Weldu Negash Gebretsadik 2:09:14
🇧🇮 Therence Bizoza 2:09:18
🇫🇷 Yohan Durand 2:09:21
🇲🇦 Mohamed Chaaboud 2:09:21
🇩🇪 Simon Boch 2:09:25
🇮🇱 Yimer Getahun 2:09:27
🇮🇱 Bukayawe Malede 2:09:28
🇫🇷 Emmanuel Roudolff 2:09:34
🇮🇹 Yohanes Chiappinelli 2:09:46
🇮🇪 Stephen Scullion 2:09:49
🇧🇷 Paulo Paula 2:09:50
