Kamworor, Jepkosgei headline Barcelona half fields

Ahead of his Rotterdam Marathon race in April, Geoffrey Kamworor will be ‘testing the legs’ in Sunday’s, 16 February, Barcelona Half Marathon where he goes up against Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo.

In the women’s race former world half marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei, out to defend her title, leads the charge as she goes up against compatriots Gladys Chepkurui and Nancy Sang, the three fastest women on paper in the start list.

Kamworor, a two-time New York Marathon champion is opening his 2025 season. He last raced for a fifth-place finish in 2:08:50 at the New York Marathon on 3 November last year.

“Running a half marathon is the best way to see where you are in your preparations towards the marathon. I am excited to test the legs this weekend,” Kamworor told NN Running Team media ahead of Sunday’s action. 

A three-time world champion in the distance, Kamworor faces stiff competition on Sunday from two-time world cross-country champion Kiplimo, who is preparing for his marathon debut in London on 27 April. Kiplimo is the second-fastest man in history for the half marathon, having clocked 57:31 in Lisbon in 2021 which stood as the world record until Yomif Kejelcha broke it.

The 24-year-old’s last competitive outing was at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid on 31 December when he shared the win with Berihu Aregawi in a course record of 26:32.

Also on the lineup are compatriots Samwel Mailu, the world half marathon bronze medalist, and Roncer Konga, a 59:08 performer who finished third behind winner Kibiwott Kandie (59:21) and runners-up Andreas Almgren (59:23) in last year’s race.

On her part, Jepkosgei who won last year with a PB of 1:04:29, and then went on to achieve a PB of 2:16:24 at the London Marathon takes on Chepkurui, who finished third last year and set a PB of 1:05:46 in 2023.

The big African stars will also be joined by proven European athletes such as Yeman Crippa (59:26), Morhad Amdouni (59:40), Abdi Nageeye (59:55), Amanal Petros (60:09), Jessica Judd (67:07) and the debut of Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee.

For their part, the most outstanding Spanish athletes will be the national record holder Carlos Mayo (59:39), the marathon runner Marta Galimany (1:10:45), the tireless 'Chik' Pérez (60:58), and the debutant Carolina Robles, recently proclaimed Spanish cross-country champion for the second consecutive year.

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Additional Reporting by World Athletics