Organisers target Evans Chebet's course record in Valencia

At the Valencia Marathon last year, Kenya's Evans Chebet and Peres Jepchirchir bagged a double, setting course record for both the men and women's races. 

Chebet clocked 2:03.00 to finish ahead of Lawrence Cherono who set a personal best of 2:03.04 while Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese completed the podium finishes in 2:03.16. The women's race was won 2:17.16 but organisers are not focused on a time trial in the race won by Jepchirchir. 

During the 2021 edition set for Sunday 5 December, a large group of pacemakers headed by Alexander Mutiso, Bernard Ngeno and Victor Chumo will target a steady 2:55 pace to go through the half marathon in 1:01:30, on schedule to break the course record of 2:03:00 set last year by Chebet.

Kenya's Cherono headlines the field with the fastest PB set during his second-place finish on the same course in 2020. Herpasa Negasa (2:03.40) the 2019 Dubai runner-up and 2019 Valencia winner Kinde Atanaw (2:03.51) are the other sub-2:04 performers in the field. 

While his time is not in the top five, Geoffrey Kamworor, winner of three world half marathon titles and two world cross-country titles who is eager to improve on his 2:06:12 PB, set on his debut at the distance back in 2012 has been touted as a hot favourite.

Kamworor has great memories of Valencia, as he became a commanding world half marathon champion in the city back in 2018. “Valencia is the city of running, the atmosphere is special,” he told World Athletics. “I managed to be world champion here, I know the circuit is incredibly fast and definitely it’s a great opportunity to record a quick time.”

The Ethiopian contingent is also strong as it comprises four athletes to have dipped under the 2:05:00 barrier during their careers. Negasa, Atanaw, Abebe Negewo and Chalu Desu.The four present a tough test for the Kenyans. 

Desu finished sixth last year and will be looking to bounce back after a below-par outing in Chicago two months ago, while Negewo, eighth in 2020, will be making his debut at any distance this year. 

The other sub-2:05 athlete on show is Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, who ran 2:04:55 in Milan last May and is fresh from a season’s best of 1:00:16 at the Valencia half marathon six weeks ago. Ethiopian debutante Andamlak Belihu, a 58:54 half marathon performer, is also in the mix. 

Germany’s Amanal Petros, who has a lifetime best of 2:07:18, recently set a national half marathon record of 1:00:09, also in Valencia, and Norway’s former European record-holder (2:05:48) Sondre Moen, who ran 1:00:15 on that occasion, also promises a fast time over the classic distance on Sunday.

Spain’s Hamid Ben Daoud will attack the Spanish record of 2:06:52 following his half marathon PB of 1:01:05 in Valencia too.