In a stunning display of endurance and skill, Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei shattered records during the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso, setting a world-leading time of 2:14:00, which places her fourth on the all-time list for women’s marathon performances. This exceptional feat occurred on Sunday, with Jepkosgei finishing nearly a minute ahead of her fellow countrywoman Peres Jepchirchir, who secured a remarkable second-place finish with a personal best of 2:14:43, making her the sixth-fastest woman in marathon history.
The women’s race had been highly anticipated, pitting two of Kenya’s elite runners against each other. Jepchirchir and Jepkosgei, whose prior best performances were closely matched at 2:16:16 and 2:16:24 respectively, were perfectly paced by their support teams throughout the early stages of the race. Both runners crossed the 5km mark together at 16:16, joined by competitors from Ethiopia, including 2023 world champion Amane Beriso and Fikrte Wereta. However, as the race progressed, the Ethiopian athletes began to fall behind.
By the time they reached the 10km mark in 32:00, Jepkosgei and Jepchirchir’s pace quickened, with a stunning 10km split of 31:06 that propelled them to the half-marathon point in 1:06:34. This positioning put them on track to exceed the world-leading time of 2:14:57. Wereta and Beriso trailed significantly, with splits of 1:08:27 and 1:09:08, respectively.
As they approached the 30km mark with another impressive 10km split of 31:41, the competition reached a critical phase. After Jepchirchir’s pacemaker withdrew, she initially managed to open a gap, but Jepkosgei regained ground. The decisive moment came with three kilometers remaining; Jepkosgei maintained her steady pace, while Jepchirchir began to lag, finding herself 15 seconds behind at the 40km mark.
Jepkosgei crossed the finish line with her monumental personal best of 2:14:00, while Jepchirchir held firm to secure second with her own record-setting time. Chloe Herbiet of Belgium claimed third in a dramatic show of persistence, finishing with a time of 2:20:38, breaking the longstanding Belgian record set at 2:23:06. Finland’s Alisa Vainio and Australia’s Jessica Stenson rounded out the podium positions, setting national records with times of 2:20:48 and 2:21:24, respectively.
In the men’s race, John Korir also delivered an impressive performance, crossing the finish line in 2:02:24. His victory improved his personal best by 20 seconds, marking the third-quickest time of the year and placing him eighth on the all-time list. The race began with a large group of top competitors, including Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma and debutant Gemechu Dida. The leading pack maintained a steady pace, with Korir strategically positioning himself behind the pacemakers.
Reaching the half-marathon mark in 1:01:46, Dida took over pacing after the pacemakers exited the race at around 25km. However, Korir surged ahead, using an impressive 28:39 split over 10km to significantly extend his lead. He completed the race in an extraordinary fashion, recording halves of 1:01:47 and 1:00:37.
Germany’s Amanal Petros finished as the runner-up with a remarkable 2:04:03, while Norway’s Awet Kibrab surprised many with his third-place finish in a personal best of 2:04:24. Japan’s Suguru Osako also broke the 2:05 barrier with a national record of 2:04:55.
Reflecting on his achievement, Korir expressed his joy at surpassing both his competitors and his personal best, emphasizing the significance of the win after a previous setback in Chicago. The Valencia Marathon not only proved to be a platform for record-breaking performances but also showcased the resilience and talent of elite athletes on an international stage.
