The 2025 Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich has once again proven to be one of the fastest races in the world, even when weather conditions are not ideal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agnes Jebet Ngetich achieved the best time of the year and the third-fastest performance in history, clocking an impressive 1:03:08. In the men\u2019s race, the winner was Yomif Kejelcha with 58:02.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ngetich ran much of the race at a pace to break the World Record set right here in Valencia by Letesenbet Gidey (1:02:52) in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, despite her excellent form, the Kenyan had to battle strong headwinds in the final kilometers and ultimately fell short by 16 seconds, though she still achieved a spectacular result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her time only bettered by Letesenbet Gidey\u2019s world record of 1:02:52 set in Valencia in 2021 and Ngetich\u2019s 1:03:04 run in the same city last year during her debut over the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like last year, Ngetich \u2013 who was paced by Moses Ntaloishi this time \u2013 went out at a frantic pace as the clock read 14:38 at the 5km checkpoint, putting her 11 seconds ahead of Ethiopia\u2019s Fotyen Tesfay, who started as the world leader with 1:03:35 from Berlin in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giving a sense of d\u00e9j\u00e0 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fotyen Tesfay finished second in the women\u2019s category with 1:05:10, and Veronica Loleo came third with 1:05:46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the men\u2019s race, Yomif Kejelcha was also on pace to improve on his 2024 personal best (57:30) \u2014 the current ratified World Record \u2014 but weather conditions took their toll, and he crossed the finish line in 58:02. Rodrigue Kwizera finished second with 58:38, followed by Brian Kibor in third with 58:39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kejelcha was perfectly paced in the men\u2019s race by Kenya\u2019s 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 \u2013 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\u2019s Rodrigue Kwizera travelled seven seconds in arrears and one second ahead of Kenya\u2019s Nicholas Kipkorir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s Andreas Almgren moved up into fourth place, clocking 27:54 to run alongside Kenya\u2019s Brian Kibor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the second part of the race, the unseasonally good weather of 20\u00baC with some gusts of annoying wind and a humidity over 60% hampered Kejelcha\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ethiopian\u2019s time is the second quickest so far this year, behind Jacob Kiplimo\u2019s 56:42 from Barcelona in February, which is pending ratification as a world record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wind also didn\u2019t seem to bother Sweden\u2019s Andreas Almgren, who broke the continental record, setting 58:41 as the new European Record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women<\/strong> Men<\/strong> The 2025 Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich has once again proven to be one of the fastest<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-5262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-athletics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"