Megertu Alemu takes ladies’s victory in 2:16:49 on a day that sees a spate of nationwide data and PBs simply weeks after town was hit with disastrous floods
Till now, Sabastian Sawe has excelled within the half-marathon with a finest time of 58:05 and a world title in 2023.
Nice half-marathon performances don’t at all times translate right into a top-class marathon, however Sawe confirmed in Valencia on Sunday (Dec 1) that he can undoubtedly go the gap.
The 28-year-old Kenyan surged away from his rivals within the closing kilometres to run 2:02:05 on his debut at 26.2 miles. Runner-up Deresa Geleta of Ethiopia clocked 2:02:38 with Daniel Mateiko of Kenya, who was additionally in his marathon debut, ending a drained third in 2:04:23.
The efficiency locations Sawe No.5 on the world all-time rankings and is the quickest time of 2024. After the race, he praised the organisers for getting the race again on monitor following the catastrophic torrential rain and flooding in late October, which led to greater than 200 deaths and billions of {dollars} of injury.
“It’s an incredible day, I’m so completely happy to be right here and win in Valencia which is so stunning,” stated Sawe. “It’s my debut and I’m actually completely happy to win. On the primary a part of course I noticed the way it was going, then within the second half I attempted to push myself.”
Megertu Alemu of Ethiopia received the ladies’s race in 2:16:49. Such are the spate of quick occasions within the super-shoes period, nevertheless, she stated she was disillusioned she didn’t go even sooner. Behind, runner-up Stella Chesang clocked a Ugandan file of two:18:26 with Tiruye Mesfin of Ethiopia third in 2:18:35
Megertu Alemu (Valencia Marathon)
Alice Wright was high British lady in a PB of two:28:48 with Dan Nash the main British man residence in a PB of two:13:02. The race as soon as once more featured a flurry of unimaginable occasions, with 10 males inside 2:05 and the highest 30 operating sub-2:10 whereas 14 ladies had been inside 2:25.
Nationwide data included Tadesse Abraham of Switzerland, operating his last marathon aged 42, with 2:04:40, Maru Teferi of Israel with 2:04:45 and Samwel Fitwi of Germany operating 2:04:56 simply forward of one of many pre-race favourites, Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia.
Yohannes Chiappinelli clocked an Italian file of two:05:24. Richard Ringer, the 2022 European champion from Germany, improved his finest to 2:05:47. Ed Cheserek, the US-based Kenyan and sub-3:50 miler, took a number of minutes off his finest with 2:05:24.
Valencia Marathon (Getty)
Australian athletes had been in type, too, with Andy Buchanan operating a nationwide file of two:06:22 – the primary Australian to interrupt the two:07 barrier – whereas Isobel Batt-Doyle excelled within the ladies’s race with 2:22:59 for eighth place.
A few months after turning 40, Fionnuala McCormack of Eire ran a PB of two:23:46 in 11th. Simply forward, Moira Stewartova ran a Czech file of two:23:44 and Sara Corridor of the USA, 41, ran 2:23:45.
Prime Spanish lady, Majida Maayouf, was solely 26 seconds exterior her personal Spanish file with 2:21:43.
Additional British outcomes included Molly Smith with 2:31:46, Becky Briggs 2:32:43, Clara Evans 2:33:16 and Verity Hopkins 2:34:20, whereas within the males’s race there have been PBs for Chris Perry with 2:15:00, Daniel Hamilton 2:15:03, Ronnie Richmond 2:15:07 and David Bishop with 2:15:19.
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