One of the most eagerly awaited days in the world marathon scene has arrived; after the tough ordeal suffered exactly one month ago, this Sunday, December 1st is the moment of solidarity and the illusion of a whole city overturned with the 35,000 participants who will crowd the Valencian avenues.

When it comes to deciding which athletes should be the favorites, the first big dilemma is, will an experienced marathon runner, seasoned in a thousand battles, win, or will someone who is facing the distance run by Filípides for the first time, with the huge unknown that this entails, make the difference?

Lemma’s new challenges

On this occasion, in the men’s section, perhaps it is advisable to bet on the second option without detracting one iota from the value of the already established specialists, among which stands out the Ethiopian Sisay Lemma, who astonished last year with a brilliant triumph in 2: 01:48, record of the race, snatching it from the late world record holder Kelvin Kiptum and, even more relevant, fourth fastest athlete in history; after that feat, Lemma has only competed in Boston, where he took the victory in April with 2:06:17.

That always enigmatic absence of recent signs of being in great shape also applies to that legend Kenenisa Bekele, already 42 years old, triple Olympic champion, 4th in 2023 with 2:04:19 and 2nd in London in April with 2:04:15. However, he could not shine in the Paris Olympics.

Perhaps the most in-form marathon runner will be his compatriot Deresa Geleta, who amazed in Seville in February winning with 2:03:27 before signing a magnificent 5th Olympic place; precisely, the fact of being his third effort of the year over the very demanding 42. 195m could be his main handicap; another ‘little green man’ who longs for a podium place, which he already achieved in 2020, will be Birhanu Legese, who achieved 2:02:48 in 2019, with a performance of 2:05:16 this season in Rotterdam. Also watch out for Andamlak Belihu, the same man who dared to accompany Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin 2022 for 25 kilometers, covering the first half in 59:50, so his time of 2:06:40 set that day is as misleading as it is improbable.

If those mentioned above five renowned specialists are Ethiopians, the more than threatening debutants will arrive from Kenya ready to leave their indelible mark in Valencia; leading the quartet will be Sebastian Sawe, whose numbers could not be better or more exciting: reigning half marathon world champion, nine appearances at that distance, all of them under 60m and a convincing victory two and a half months ago in Copenhagen with 58:05; he will undoubtedly be one of the main candidates to ensure that Valencia enjoys, for the third consecutive year, a sub 2:02 time.

Daniel Mateiko also appears in all the pools to do well in Valencia: he was second in the half marathon in October improving to 58:17 and three of his four best times have been run in Valencia, a sign that the city inspires him; Hillary Kipkoech, 59. 22 in half in 2023, after acting as Lemma’s hare last year here no less than 30 kilometers, wants to be a protagonist in his debut, and Mathew Kimeli, 58.43 in Valencia 2021, closes the quota of Kenyan debutants, while Chimdessa Debele, just 21 years old and accredited in 27.10, also in Valencia, will defend the Ethiopian pavilion.

In the European sphere, the highly anticipated first incursions into the distance of the Italian Pietro Riva, flamboyant European half marathon runner-up this summer, and Carlos Mayo, who will compete with Ibrahim Chakir (2:07:48) for the honor of being the first Spaniard to finish the race.

Grandes expectativas para la maratón femenina de Valencia

After the last-minute withdrawal due to a stress fracture of the great favorite, the Ethiopian Amane Beriso, winner in 2022 with a record of 2:14:58, her compatriot Alemu Megertu emerges as the athlete to beat: at 27 years old she has already stepped on the podiums of Chicago and London, almost nothing, and has up to five times under 2: 19, with a best of 2:16:34 that she aims to beat with the invaluable contribution of her trusted hare; also Ethiopian are the other two athletes who have gone below the 2:20 mark, Hiwot Gebrekidan, 2:17:59 last year here to be 3rd and Tiruye Mesfin (2:18:47 in 2022), while the Ugandan record holder with 2:20. 23 Stella Chesang, 8th at the Paris Olympics, and Kenya’s Evaline Chirchir are the only ones capable of avoiding an Ethiopian hat-trick.

Regarding the Spanish women, Majida Maayouf returns to the stage of her debut (1/12/2019) exactly five years later with various objectives such as improving her personal best (2:21:01 in 2022) or at least her Spanish record (2:21. 27 last edition) while Laura Luengo, after flying in the half marathon on October 27 when she scratched 51 seconds to her best time, leaving it in 1:08:50, will go out with the firm intention of achieving the world minimum for Tokyo, located in a severe, but certainly achievable, 2:23:30, which would be a significant improvement over the 2:25:35 she timed in her successful debut just a year ago here.

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