Prepare for some fast occasions on Sunday (Jan 15) when the self-styled “ciudad del working” levels its annual 10km Valencia Ibercaja occasion on its famously quick roads.
Most of the world’s prime distance runners will descend upon the Spanish metropolis this weekend seeking record-breaking performances. These embrace Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who will assault her personal girls’s world report of 29:14 set in Castellón 11 months in the past.
The 23-year-old impressed over the marathon final 12 months, too, as she clocked what was, on the time, the world’s quickest ever debut by a lady with 2:17:23 in Hamburg earlier than later capturing the London Marathon title in 2:17:26.
British athletes are in Valencia in drive too. The Spanish street race clashes with the trial in Perth, Scotland, for the World Cross Nation Championships, however many have opted to slide on their super-shoes reasonably than spikes to chase PBs on the street.
Yehualaw is the star attraction and can put on No.1 on her singlet on Sunday, however she is joined in Valencia by fellow Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye, who holds the world 5km report with 14:19 from Barcelona in 2021. As well as, Karoline Grøvdal of Norway will assault the European report of 30:05 held by Lonah Salpeter of Israel.
Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Mark Shearman)
Race director José Enrique Muñoz Acuña mentioned: “It’s a nice pleasure to have the 2 athletes who maintain the world report in 10km and 5km.”
Within the males’s discipline, sub-27min performers Richard Kimunyan Yator and Weldon Kipkirui Langat of Kenya plus Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi lead the boys’s entries in a discipline of round 11,000 runners which is about to function about 100 elite athletes from 15 completely different nations.
Jacob Krop, the world 5000m silver medallist and 12:45.71 runner on the monitor, can also be within the line-up along with Paul Chelimo of the US, whereas Morhad Amdouni and Jimmy Gressier of France lead the European problem.
Their goal is Rhonex Kipruto’s world report of 26:24, which was set on this occasion in 2020.
Jacob Krop (Getty)
“We wish the boys to strategy the European report (27:13 by Julien Wanders set in Valencia in 2020) and, with the African armada, to search for sub-27 data and even strategy the world report,” mentioned Acuña. “The 2023 race would be the best of all editions. The very best European athletes need to run the 10km Valencia Ibercaja – and now we have been working for months in that path.”
He added: “The aim of the race is to develop into extra worldwide 12 months after 12 months and attain an increasing number of international locations. We’re a world reference for the space and the most effective athletes need to run in Valencia.”
Brits in Valencia
Don’t be shocked to see the UK all-time rankings revised on Sunday when a big contingent of British athletes deal with the Valencia 10km.
They’re led by Samantha Harrison, who already sits No.5 on the UK all-time rankings with 31:10 from Telford in December.
Calli Thackery, the fifth quickest British lady in historical past over 5km with 14:58, can also be set to compete. Add to this Olympic marathoner Steph Twell, plus Amelia Quirk, Lucy Reid and Sarah Astin.
Cali Thackery leads Sam Harrison (Mark Shearman)
One week after out-kicking Jake Wightman indoors over 3000m, Phil Sesemann takes to the roads trying to beat his 28:24 PB from 2019.
The Mahamed brothers – Mahamed and Zak – are additionally within the line-up, plus Olympic 5000m finalist Andy Butchart, Efrem Gidey, Ellis Cross, Calum Elson and Kadar Omar.
The checklist goes on with Kieran Clements, Jack Grey, Jonathan Hopkins, Alfie Manthorpe, Lewis Jagger, Ronny Wilson, Jonny Davies, Alex Lepetre, Jonathan Escalante, Dan Studley, Norman Shreeve and Corey De’Ath.
There are extra, too, with all of the elite entries right here.
One athlete who won’t be in Valencia, although, is Emile Cairess. The joint UK 10km record-holder with Mo Farah missed a spell of coaching over Christmas after catching Covid and has determined to go altitude coaching in Kenya as a substitute.
Warner-Judd in Houston
On a busy day of street racing, look out for information from the Houston Marathon and Half-Marathon too. Jess Warner-Judd is tackling the half-marathon once more 12 months after working 67:52 on her debut in Houston and the Brit faces a discipline that features Ethiopian star Tirunesh Dibaba plus American half-marathon and marathon record-holder Emily Sisson.
Tirunesh Dibaba (Mark Shearman)
For 3-time Olympic champion Dibaba, it’s the 37-year-old’s first race since December 2018, largely as a result of she has develop into a mom to a few youngsters.
The lads’s half-marathon, in the meantime, sees US hopes Conner Mantz, Edward Cheserek and Teshome Mekonen taking up Ethiopians Leul Gebresilase and Shura Kitata.
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