Ngetich sets world lead to win Valencia Half Marathon

Agnes Ngetich set a world lead of 1:03:08 and Yomif Kejelcha clocked 58:02 to retain their titles at the Medio Maratón de Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Zurich, a World Athletics Gold Label road race, on Sunday (26).

The world record looked under threat for most of the women’s race, but Kenya’s world 10km record-holder Ngetich eventually fell short by 16 seconds. Crossing the finish line in 1:03:08, she achieved the third-fastest performance in history – a time only bettered by Letesenbet Gidey’s world record of 1:02:52 set in Valencia in 2021 and Ngetich’s 1:03:04 run in the same city last year during her debut over the distance.

Just like last year, Ngetich – who was paced by Moses Ntaloishi this time – went out at a frantic pace as the clock read 14:38 at the 5km checkpoint, putting her 11 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay, who started as the world leader with 1:03:35 from Berlin in April.

Always paced by Ntaloishi and sandwiched between a large group of male athletes, the 24-year-old Ngetich continued her terrific speed to go through 10km in 29:28, well ahead of the world record pace, while Tesfay travelled 37 seconds behind her in 30:05.

Giving a sense of déjà vu of last year, when Ngetich reached 10km in 29:18 but could not maintain that pace to break the world record, the Kenyan began to slow and covered the next kilometres in the 3:00/3:05 range. By the 15km mark, which she reached in 44:36, she was still projected a world record time (1:02:43) but the pace of the world 10,000m fourth-place finisher gradually eased over the final section and she won unopposed in 1:03:08.

She was joined on the podium by Tesfay, runner-up in 1:05:11 after struggling over the closing kilometres, and Kenya’s Veronica Loleo, who managed a huge lifetime best of 1:05:46 on her fourth outing over the distance this year.

“I know I have the world record in my legs and my splits were inside that pace until 15km,” said Ngetich. “Even without breaking the world record, I’m satisfied as I have competed in Valencia three times (once over 10km and twice over the half marathon) and I have won all of them.”

Kejelcha was perfectly paced in the men’s race by Kenya’s Amos Kipkorir. Ethiopia's world 10,000m silver medallist kicked off at a steady 2:43 rhythm, going through the opening 5km in a promising 13:35 – some three seconds quicker than his split last year when the 28-year-old set his world record of 57:30. No one dared to follow in his footsteps as Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera travelled seven seconds in arrears and one second ahead of Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir.

The pacemaker dropped out a short while later and so Kejelcha had to run on his own for much of the race. Even so, the three-time winner in Valencia maintained his frantic pace to reach the 10km checkpoint in 27:13, just one second slower than his split from last year and on a projected 57:25 pace. By then, a lonesome Kwizera ran way back, 25 seconds behind the leader, while Sweden’s Andreas Almgren moved up into fourth place, clocking 27:54 to run alongside Kenya’s Brian Kibor.

Over the second part of the race, the unseasonally good weather of 20ºC with some gusts of annoying wind and a humidity over 60% hampered Kejelcha’s effort and his speed began to decrease. At the 15km point he clocked 40:59 and despite fighting hard for the following kilometres, a 14:02 5km split ended his chances of beating his time from last year and he had to settle for a 58:02 victory to achieve his seventh sub-60:00 performances in as many appearances over the distance.

The Ethiopian’s time is the second quickest so far this year, behind Jacob Kiplimo’s 56:42 from Barcelona in February, which is pending ratification as a world record.

The fight for the other podium places was fierce. The runner-up spot went to the Spain-based Kwizera thanks to a career best of 58:39, while Kibor was given the same time.

Almgren set a big European record of 58:41 on his second outing at the distance, becoming first European athlete to break 59 minutes in the half marathon, while South Africa’s debutant Adriaan Wildschutt completed the top five in 59:13.

“I felt superb until the 10km point but then I began to suffer a stomach pain and could not maintain my rhythm,” said Kejelcha. “It was not the ideal day to break the world record anyway, as the wind was strong and it hampered me.”

Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Leading results

Women
1 Agnes Ngetich (KEN) 1:03:08
2 Fotyen Tesfay (ETH) 1:05:11
3 Veronica Loleo (KEN) 1:05:46
4 Gladys Chepkurui (KEN) 1:06:58
5 Mulat Takele (ETH) 1:07:08
6 Emma Hurley (USA) 1:08:02
7 Klara Lukan (SLO) 1:08:04
8 Alessia Zarbo (FRA) 1:08:20

Men
1 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) 58:02
2 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 58:39
3 Brian Kibor (KEN) 58:39
4 Andreas Almgren (SWE) 58:41
5 Adriaan Wildschutt (RSA) 59:13
6 Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) 59:44
7 Mohamed Ismail (BDI) 60:03
8 Gideon Kiprotich (KEN) 60:03