by Justin Lagat
Without a doubt, the 2024 Valencia half marathon was arguably the biggest half marathon race ever run this year. It is, however, hard to tell which, between the men’s and the women’s performances, were the more stunning.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha set a new world record of 57:30 in the men’s race. At the same time, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich led two other women to a 2nd, 3rd and 4th fastest times ever run in the women’s half marathon running history.
While both races started out on a world record pace, only two women went past the five-kilometre point together, with Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye providing company to Ngetich as they crossed it in 14:38. They were almost twenty seconds ahead of Kenya’s Lilian Rengeruk and Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay and Tsige Gebreselama.
Ngetich, who holds the women’s 10K world record at 28:46, and Ejgayehu would go through the 10K mark in an incredible 29:18. However, that must have hurt the two as Taye, the former 5K world record holder and 2023 10,000m world bronze medalist, soon began to falter. Ngetich’s pace also started to slow.
Ngetich was clear ahead, but probably hurting from the hard pace earlier in the race as she came in to cross the finish line in 1:03:04. Fotyen Tesfay of Ethiopia overtook Taye on her way to coming second in 1:03:21 ahead of Kenya’s Lilian Kasait also overtaking Taye to finish third in 1:03:32. Taye would finish fourth in 1:04:14.
“I’m really happy, and so proud that I achieved the second fastest time ever on my debut. Valencia will always have a special place in my heart because it’s where I set my world record in the 10km,” Ngetich said after the race.
The fast pace in the men’s race saw six runners survive through the first five kilometres. Half of these men went past the 10K mark that was crossed in 27:12. Kejelcha controlled the pace at the front while Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko and Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi appeared to be hanging on.
At 15K, the 2019 Doha 10,000m world silver medalist began to open up a gap on the two Kenyans, who appeared glad to finally let him go as they settled on a slower pace behind him.
Kejelcha was more than 45 seconds ahead at the finish line as he set the new world record, beating the previous one of 57:31 set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2021 by one second.
Mateiko finished second in 58:17 ahead of Lasoi, who completed the podium at 58:21.
