The Trinidad Alfonso Valencia Marathon has got us used to it. Edition after edition, the marathon event of Valencia City of Running is a real festival of records. The main and most important one has been that of Sisay Lemma with a time of 2 hours 1 minutes and 47 seconds, which has not only been enough to take the victoria and break the record of the race, but also to sign the sixth best marathon world record in history. Worknesh Degefa won the women's category with a time of 2 hours 15 minutes and 51 seconds.
But the sporting feats of this new edition of the Valencia Marathon 2023 have not ended with the winners of the race in male and female category. Other personal names have been those of national athletes Tariku Novales and Majida Maayouf. Their stellar performance on the asphalt of Valencia has made them the fastest marathon runners in Spain with national records in the distance of 2.05:48 and 2.21:27, respectively.
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Go to the Shoe FinderRunning in Valencia is synonymous with setting a personal best in the mythical distance of 42,195 meters. That goal has been pursued by a large percentage of the 33,0000 runners who have taken the start in this athletic event in the capital of the Turia in a sunny and perfect temperature to put on their running shoes and look for the best version of each athlete on the asphalt.
In the run-up to this Valencian marathon, the names of the legendary athlete Kenisa Bekele, who sought to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard for the Paris 2024 Games, and Joshua Cheptegei, debutant butworld record holder in 5k and 10k, had grabbed the spotlight of media attention. However, the professional athletes who come to Valencia are always top level, and this has been demonstrated by the great performance of Sisay Lemma, Kibiwott Kandie, Alexander Mutiso and Dawit Wolde. They have been the ones who have played the triumph in the streets of Valencia, and have invited us to dream during some sections of the race to live a new world record in marathon in the hands of Kelvin Kiptum (2.00:35).
Something very difficult to achieve, but not unthinkable in light of what was experienced during the course of the men's race. At the 25th kilometer of the race, the time of the leading group with this quartet of names stopped the clock in a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 52 seconds, which meant an improvement of twelve seconds below the world record.
However, the hardness of the marathon and the vigilance among the favorites to win made the second part of the race to lose those options of a possible new world record. Although, to tell the truth, it era something unthinkable on paper.
At the 35th kilometer of the race, Sisay Lemma has shown his physical strength to leave alone with a time of 1.40:41, which was 19 seconds over the world record, but the Ethiopian athlete was aiming for a new record of the Valencia circuit with an improvement of 52 seconds.
In an apotheosis entry to the finish line in the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia, it was seen that Lemma the last stretch of the race was very long, and crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours 1 minute and 47 seconds, improving by 6 seconds the previous record held by Kelvin Kiptum (2:01:53) in the edition of 2022.
The men's podium was completed by Alexander Mutiso (2.03:14) and Dawit Wolde (2.03:47), second and third respectively. Kenisa Bekele, a legend, finished in fourth position with a final time of 2 hours 4 minutes 19 seconds.
Lemma's final time is counted as the sixth fastest marathon world record in history, while the Ethiopian runner became the fourth fastest marathon runner on the planet, linking his name to those of Kelvin Kiptum2.00:35 Chicago 2023), Eliud Kipchoge2.01:09 in Berlin 2022) and Denisa Bekele2.01:41 in Berlin 2019). In addition, Lemma's time keeps the Valencia Marathon as the fourth fastest 42k in the world to date, and closing the gap with the London Marathon, which occupies the third position in the table of this particular ranking, just 22 seconds behind.
In the women's category, things seemed to be clearer, and the head-to-head race between the athletes Worknesh Degefa and Almaz Ayana finally went to Degefa, who crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours 15 minutes and 51 seconds. While Ayana came in second place with a time of 2.17:24. Both athletes signed their personal bests, but they are far from the record of the women's race of the Valencia Marathon, held by the Ethiopian Amane Beriso (2.14:57) in the 2022 edition.
The third classified was Hiwot Gebrekidan with a final time of 2 hours 17 minutes and 59 seconds.
As we have already mentioned, the assault to the Spanish record in marathon was also at stake in Valencia, and the forecasts were fulfilled with the great performances of Tariku Novales and Majida Maayouf.
In the case of the athlete of Ethiopian origin, Novales stopped the clock in 2 hours 5 minutes and 48 seconds, breaking Ayad Landassem's record of 2.06:25 in the Seville Marathon 2022. But in the women's category Majida Maayouf has done the same with a time of 2 hours 21 minutes and 27 seconds, improving by just over four minutes the previous record of Marta Galimany (2.26:14) also in Valencia last year.
Both Tariky Novales and Majida Maayouf seem to have a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games representing Spain.
The official times of the Trinidad Alfonso Valencia Marathon 2023 in both the men's and women's categories were as follows
The Valencia 2023 Marathon can be followed live online through the organization's official website with a live broadcast in Spanish and English. However, there will be up to seven ways available to follow the race on television:
At the end of the race, we will update this news with the classification and results of the Valencia Marathon 2023, with the finishing times of the first runners.
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ParticiparPhotos: Valencia Ciudad del Running and RTVE Play