It was an electrifying Sunday morning on the Maratón Valencia, with Ethiopian star Yomif Kejelcha capturing the lads’s half-marathon world document, crossing the end line in 57:30; and on the ladies’s facet, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich working the second-fastest half-marathon in historical past, clocking 63:04.
World document alert on the @MedioMaratonVLC 🚨
Report 🔗 https://t.co/EjSpUgXrHn pic.twitter.com/F4AI1B9SYZ
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) October 27, 2024
Kejelcha’s record-breaking run
In his sixth half marathon, Kejelcha pushed the bounds to take one second off Jacob Kiplimo‘s earlier document set in Lisbon in 2021. Regardless of mild rain and funky circumstances, he maintained an aggressive tempo, main a pack of prime runners by means of the primary 5K in 13:38. By the 10K mark, Kejelcha clocked a powerful 27:12, and though the tempo dipped barely afterward, he picked it as much as cost to the end line alone. His closing time not solely secured a world document but additionally marked an 11-second private greatest.
Since successful the 3000m title on the World Underneath-18 and Underneath-20 Championships a decade in the past, Kejelcha has taken residence two World Indoor titles and proven potential to increase his dominance to even longer distances. With this efficiency, the 27-year-old has change into the primary to carry each the world indoor mile (3:47.01, set in Boston in 2021) and half marathon information.
Kenyan runners Daniel Mateiko and Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi took second and third within the males’s race, with Mateiko attaining a private better of 58:17 and Lasoi clocking 58:21.
Prime males
Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 57:30
Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 58:17
Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi (KEN) 58:21
Gemechu Dida (ETH) 58:39
Vincent Langat (KEN) 58:41
Selemon Barega (ETH) 58:57
Birhanu Balew (BRN) 59:41
Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) 59:42
10km world document holder Agnes Ngetich has gained the Valencia Half Marathon on debut, crossing the road in 1:03:04 to claim herself because the second quickest in historical past.
Fotyten Tesfay closed laborious to complete second in 1:03:21, 9 seconds forward of Ngetich’s countrywoman and fellow… pic.twitter.com/fqDIgK3AIa— Onus Athletics (@onusathletics) October 27, 2024
Ngetich’s half-marathon debut
Ngetich’s debut half-marathon was nothing in need of historic. She set off quick and clocked 29:18 on the 10K mark, a time bettered by just a few in historical past. She crossed the end line in 63:04—11 seconds shy of the world document. Her effort locations her second on the all-time listing, behind solely the document set by Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia, in 2021.
Pleased together with her efficiency, Ngetich mentioned that working quick early was a aware choice to set her place within the race. “My objective was to push laborious from the beginning, even with the rain,” she mentioned to media post-race. “This race is particular to me, and Valencia now holds a spot in my coronary heart.”
Within the girls’s race, Ethiopian Fotyen Tesfay and Kenya’s Lilian Rengeruk joined Ngetich on the rostrum with instances of 1:03:21 and 1:03:32, respectively, shifting them to the highest ranks in girls’s half marathon historical past. Ngetich’s compatriot, Ejgayehu Taye, completed fourth in 1:04:14, incomes her a spot within the prime 10 all-time listing on her half marathon debut.
Prime girls
Agnes Ngetich (KEN) 1:03:04
Fotyen Tesfay (ETH) 1:03:21
Lilian Kasait (KEN) 1:03:32
Ejgayehu Taye (ETH) 1:04:14
Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH) 1:05:18
Sheila Chelangat (KEN) 1:06:08
Jesca Chelangat (KEN) 1:06:13
Viola Chepngeno (KEN) 1:06:55