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The 2025 Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Zurich Half Marathon was held on Sunday, October 26, with more than 25,000 runners from 138 nationalities participating, consolidating Valencia’s position as the world’s running capital. Despite the wind that hampered the final kilometers, the race once again offered top-level performances and new national records, reaffirming its status as one of the fastest routes on the planet.
The World Athletics and AIMS-approved course maintained its traditional flat route, starting on Tarongers Avenue and finishing next to the City of Arts and Sciences. Weather conditions were mild, but with a moderate headwind that hampered world record attempts.
Men’s results
Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha retained his title in Valencia by winning with a time of 58:02, very close to his own world record (57:30) achieved on this same route in 2024. The race was fast from the start, although the wind prevented record-breaking paces in the final stretch.
Second place went to Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi, who clocked 58:39, setting a new national record. Third was Kenyan Brian Kibor, also clocking 58:39, a personal best.
The big news for Europe was the Swede Andreas Almgren, who crossed the finish line in 58:41, achieving a new European record.
The best Spaniard was Carlos Mayo, with a time of 1:00:46, in full preparation for the Valencia Marathon on December 7. Said Mechaal (1:00:48) and Nassim Hassaous (1:00:55) completed the national podium.
Men’s Top 3
| Position | Athlete | Country | Time | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yomif Kejelcha | Ethiopia | 58:02 | Winner, revalidates title |
| 2 | Rodrigue Faith | Burundi | 58:39 | National Record (NR) |
| 3 | Brian Kibor | Kenya | 58:39 | Personal best (PB) |
Women’s results
Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich was the big winner in the women’s category with a spectacular 1:03:08, the best world mark of the year and the third-best mark in history. For much of the course, she maintained world record pace, but the wind prevented her from beating Letesenbet Gidey’s 1:02:52, also achieved in Valencia in 2021.
Second place went to Fotyen Tesfay of Ethiopia in 1:05:11, while Veronica Loleo of Kenya completed the podium in 1:05:46, recording her personal best.
The Spanish Carla Gallardo Puertas was the first national with a time of 1:09:14, followed by Meritxell Soler (1:09:46) and Alicia Berzosa (1:10:37), in one of the most outstanding collective performances of the Spanish women’s team in recent years.
Top 3 female
| Position | Athlete | Country | Time | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agnes Jebet at work | Kenya | 1:03:08 | Best World Brand of the Year |
| 2 | Fotyen Tesfay | Ethiopia | 1:05:11 | Great season finale |
| 3 | Veronica Loleo | Kenya | 1:05:46 | Personal best (PB) |
National records and outstanding debuts
Among the day’s biggest revelations was South African Adriaan Wildschutt, who stopped the clock at 59:13 in his half-marathon debut, setting a new South African national record and beating Steve Mokoka’s record, which had stood for five years, by 23 seconds.
Slovenian Klara Lukan also had a remarkable debut, clocking 1:08:04, more than a minute shy of the national record held by Helena Javornik for more than two decades. Lukan thus becomes the current Slovenian record holder in the 5 km, 10 km, and half-marathon.
Another strong European performance was that of France’s Alessia Zarbo, who clocked 1:08:20, setting a new French national record. Zarbo improved her personal best achieved in Vannes the previous month by almost a minute and a half, and added her second national record of the year, following her 10km record in Prague (31:00).
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