The Spanish city once again hosts star-studded fields, with over a dozen Brits making the trip in pursuit of personal bests on the traditionally fast course.
With its reputation for reliable sunny winter weather and quick times, the Valencia Marathon has always attracted some of the world’s best distance runners.
Although not one of the current seven Abbott World Marathon Majors, the fields are usually stacked in Valencia, with the current course records held by Ethiopian duo Sisay Lemma and Amane Beriso.
Lemma ran 2:01:48 for his victory two years ago, putting him fourth on the men’s all-time list, while Beriso triumphed three years ago with 2:14:58 – a mark that currently places her sixth on the women’s all-time standings.
The pair headline this year’s edition (December 7) and boast the fastest marks in their respective fields. However they haven’t competed since April’s Boston Marathon, with Lemma failing to finish and Beriso placing fifth in 2:21:58.
Lemma, the 2024 Boston and 2021 London Marathon champion, will likely face his biggest challenge from John Korir, who has a best of 2:02:44 over 26.2 miles.
Korir ran that time to win last year’s Chicago Marathon before then triumphing in Boston back in April. The Kenyan had hoped to break 2:01 in Chicago but DNF’d.
Tesfaye Deriba has the third quickest time in the field with 2:04:13, a mark he set when winning this year’s Barcelona Marathon. He also represented Ethiopia over 26.2 miles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo but failed to finish.
One athlete who’ll be aiming to improve on his finish at last year’s Valencia Marathon is Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech. He ran 2:04:45 for eighth and followed that up by clocking 2:06:05 for seventh at the London Marathon.
The two leading two European male athletes, Samuel Fitwi and Amanal Petros, are both from Germany. Fitwi set a national record of 2:04:56 at last season’s edition in Valencia while Petros, a world marathon silver medallist from Tokyo, ran his personal best of 2:04:58 in Berlin two years ago.
A strong continental European field sees Spain’s Tariku Novales (2:05:48), France’s Nico Navarro (2:05:53) and Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa (2:06:06) all take to the start line.
An incredible 14 British men with a personal best of 2:15:00 or faster will compete at this year’s Valencia Marathon.
Phil Sesemann is the fastest in the field and set a personal best of 2:07:18 in Amsterdam just two months ago. This will be the Brit’s third race over 26.2 miles in 2025 after he ran 2:14:46 in London back in April.
Callum Hawkins has a best of 2:08:14 in the field but that was set at the 2019 London Marathon. The 60:00 half-marathon runner has competed twice this season, running 62:55 and 63:47 in Cardiff and Madrid respectively.
Jonny Mellor arrives in Valencia off the back of a 28:28 10km in Wilmslow and will aim to get close to his marathon best of 2:09:06 from Seville last year.
After running 2:11:08 on his marathon debut in London, Alex Yee will be hoping to go even quicker in Valencia and, based off his training, is in good shape to do so.
The Olympic triathlon champion has had five weeks over 100 miles in his training and, according to his COROS PACE 4 watch, is on schedule to potentially run 2:05:46 – a time that would put him second on the UK all-time list behind Mo Farah (2:05:11).
Tom Evans, the ultra-runner who won last year’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run and this season’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, is competing in his first marathon for eight years.
The Brit represented Great Britain at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Poland but hasn’t raced over 26.2 miles since he clocked 2:26:07 at the 2017 Frankfurt Marathon.
Jack Rowe will be aiming to complete his first marathon after failing to finish in London last year. The 60:53 half-marathon runner has excelled over 13.1 miles this season and won the Big Half.
Others to watch out for include Weynay Ghebresilasie (2:09:50), Luke Caldwell (2:11:13) and Ben Connor (2:11:20).
In the elite women’s field, expect a three-way battle between Beriso, Peres Jepchirchir and Joyciline Jepkosgei.
Even though Beriso has the quickest mark in the field, both Jepchirchir and Jepkosgei have been in better form this season.
Jepchirchir, a triple world major marathon winner, beat Olympic champion Tigist Assefa to secure the gold medal over 26.2 miles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The Kenyan’s run of 2:24:43 was far from her former women’s only word-record of 2:16:16 – a mark (2:15:50) now held by Assefa – but Jepchirchir has the potential to go even quicker and take the victory in Valencia.
You can’t count out her compatriot Jepkosgei however, especially as she placed second to Assefa at this year’s London Marathon with 2:18:44.
Jepkosgei is a winner of both the London and New York City Marathons and has a best of 2:16:24 over 26.2 miles.
Both the USA and Australia boast a number of athletes at this year’s Valencia Marathon, with the American charge led by Keira D’Amato (2:19:12) and Emma Bates (2:23:18).
Australia has three sub-2:24 women in the field so expect Jessica Stenson (2:22:56), Isobel Batt-Doyle (2:22:59) and Genevieve Gregson (2:23:08) to do well.
Charlotte Purdue leads the British female entries for Valencia and has the sixth fastest mark in the field with 2:22:17.
Currently third on the UK all-time list behind Paula Radcliffe and Calli Hauger-Thackery, Purdue hasn’t competed in a marathon since she ran that time in Berlin two years ago. She was meant to run in London back in April but pulled out as a precaution.
With a best of 2:25:12, Lily Partridge is the second quickest Brit in Valencia and, currently ranked 11th, will aim to put herself in the top 10 on the UK standings. Partridge will fancy her chances given her fastest marathon came in Valencia two years ago. She placed 23rd in April’s Boston Marathon with 2:32:19.
Natasha Wilson is a 2:26:14 marathon runner – a mark she set in Valencia three years ago – and arrives in the Spanish city off the back of three half-marathons and a time of 2:27:12 over 26.2 miles in Hamburg.
Other Brits to watch out for are Becky Briggs (2:29:06), Naomi Robinson (2:30:54) and Leila Armoush (2:33:25).