Kejelcha, Barega and Mateiko set to fly the fastest in the Valencia Half Marathon

Kejelcha, Barega, and Mateiko are set to fly the fastest in the Valencia Half Marathon on 27 October 2024. 

• Women’s 10K record holder Agnes Jebet Ngetich will make her debut at 21,097.5 meters in the city where she achieved her WR in January

Valencia, 3 September 2024.- The Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich has confirmed the names of the international elite athletes who will fly through the streets of the Ciudad del Running on 27 October. The race, organized by SD Correcaminos and Valencia City Council, still holds the women’s world record (Gidey, 1:02:52 in 2021). The second fastest time in the world (Kandie, 57:32 in 2020), and will be looking to continue improving on these records this year in a half marathon in which eight of the top ten fastest times over the distance have been achieved.

In the men’s category, Ethiopians Yomif Kejelcha (57:41) and Selemon Barega (57:50) will compete with Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko (58:26) to be the fastest over the distance. The level of European runners is also high, with the presence in Valencia of athletes such as Samuel Barata (Portugal), Pietro Riva (Italy), Amanal Petros (Germany) and Emile Cairess (Great Britain), who will be joined by the Spanish elite soon to be confirmed.

And in the women’s category, the Valencia Half Marathon (which has the two fastest times in history) will focus on Kenyan runner Agnes Jebet Ngetich, who will make her debut over the distance in Valencia. In this city, last January, she broke the world record in the 10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun (28:46, also setting the world record for 5K with her 14:13). Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama and Kenya’s Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and Catherine Amanang’ole will be her main rivals vying for victory.

Marc Roig, coach of the event’s international elite athletes, assessed this list as “the best half marathon this year, with high-level duels that aim, once again, to achieve 57-minute performances by several athletes. And a clear challenge to the stopwatch in the women’s race. Never before has a debutant taken to the start line who has run a 10K in under 29 minutes. We are really looking forward to seeing how fast the race will be on 27 October”. 

See full list of international athletes: