Kipruto favourite to win Valencia Half Marathon

World record-holder Rhonex Kipruto headlines this year's Valencia Half Marathon set for Sunday 24 October, returning to the course that saw him finish third in his half marathon debut in 2020. 

In January 2020, Kipruto set his personal best in 10km, in a time of 26:24, which stands as the world record for the distance, a feat he achieved in Valencia. 

In December the same year he returned to the city for his half marathon debut where he timed 57:49 for third place. His time was well within the world record at the time.

The race was won by fellow Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie in a time of 57: 32 which stands as the world record. The top four finishers in that race all ran faster than the then existing world record and remain, to this day, the only four men to break 58:00 in the distance. 

Kipruto heads to Valencia as the favourite, carrying the fastest PB in the field and the only sub 58 man on the field. He is, however, facing formidable opposition as five other runners led by Kenya's Philemon Kiplimo have sub 59 times. 

Kiplimo is the sixth-fastest man in history at 58:11, a time that was only good for fifth in last year’s race. 

Another Kenyan, Abel Kipchumba, also presents Kipruto a tough challenge, his most recent performance of a 58:48 at the 'Adizero:Road to Records' event on September 12 being the fastest half marathon in the world this year. 

Kelvin Kiptum (58:42 pb) Felix Kipkoech ( 58:57)and Andamlak Belihu (58:54 pb) are the other sub-59 men on the field. 

Also in the mix for the race is Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris, the two-time defending world champion at 5,000 meters. Edris, who ran an impressive 59:04 in his debut half last year in New Delhi, did not make the Ethiopian Olympic team this year, but he ran 713:09 on the roads last month before winning the Giro al Sas 10k road race in Italy on October 2.

Additionally, Commonwealth bronze medalist Rodgers Kwemoi, who is making his half marathon debut is likely to mount a challenge. 

The 2016 world U-20 champion, on top of winning this year's national cross country, clocked 27:05 at altitude in Nairobi to finish second behind Geoffrey Kamworor at the Kenyan Olympic trials. He was seventh at the Olympic 10,000 final.

Meanwhile, tough battle us expected in the women's race as half marathon world record holder Yalemzerf Yehualaw faces the 5,000 and 10,000 world record holder Letesenbet Gidey who is making her half marathon debut.