The Valencia Marathon in Spain will always hold a special place in the heart of Kenyan runner Peres Jepchirchir. Against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, Jepchirchir, who was fresh from claiming her maiden world marathon title in Tokyo, shattered the course record in the Spanish city on December 6, 2020.
Jepchirchir improved her personal best by an impressive six minutes, winning in a time of two hours, 17 minutes and 16 seconds to erase the previous course record of 2:18:30 set by Roza Dereje of Ethiopia the previous year.
It was Jepchirchir’s third marathon, following victories in the 2013 Kisumu Safaricom Marathon (2:47:33) and 2019 Saitama International Marathon (2:23:50).
Exactly one month after winning the world title to add to the Olympic crown she claimed in Japan in 2021, Jepchirchir has confirmed participation in the Valencia Marathon on December 7.
“Valencia is where I really felt I have joined the international league after I ran a sub-20:20 for the first time,” said Jepchirchir, who will be out to recapture the title in her second appearance in the World Athletics Platinum Label event.
Jepchirchir isn’t mincing her words about her expectations in the race, where she will take on course record-holder Amane Beriso from Ethiopia. Beriso won the 2022 edition in a course record time of 2:14:58.
Jepchirchir has won three other major marathons since then – in New York, Boston and London, where she set her Personal Best B of 2:16:16 in 2024.
It will be a clash of world marathon champions, with Berisio having won the world title in 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
Beriso went on to secure second place in the 2023 Boston Marathon and third in last year’s Tokyo Marathon, while she was fifth at both the Paris Olympics and this year’s Boston Marathon.
“If the weather permits, I will seek to improve on my personal best. I don’t want to be ambitious about the course record but the strong field tells a good story,” said Jepchirchir, noting that since her victory in 2020, fast times have been registered.
She singled out Kenya’s Nancy Jelagat (2:19:30-2021) and Ethiopians Beriso (2:14:58-2022), Worknesh Degefa (2:15:51-2023) and Alemu Megertu (2:16:49-2024).
“I took a two-week break after the world championships before resuming training. I am good to go,” said Jepchirchir.
Jepchirchir and Beriso will be joined by another 2:16 marathon runner, Joyciline Jepkosgei. She ran 2:16:24, finishing third in a London Marathon won by her Kenyan compatriot Jepchirchir in 2024 and was runner-up in the British capital this year.
Jepkosgei won the London Marathon in 2021 and the New York Marathon in 2019, and she was second in Valencia in 2020, losing to Jepchirchir.
Sisay Lemma, who holds the course records of 2:01:46 from 2023, hopes to bounce back after failing to finish the Boston Marathon in April, where he was the defending champion. Lemma takes on four other sub-2:05 athletes including Hailemaryam Kiros, Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech and the German duo of Samuel Fitwi and Amanal Petros.
Elite field Women
Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:04:56
