World 10,000m bronze medallist Andreas Almgren smashed his European 10km record for his second successive victory at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja on Sunday (11) morning.
Almgren crossed the finish-line in 26:45 to shave eight seconds off the European 10km record which he set in winning last year’s race.
- Watch the race again in full here
This was Almgren’s fourth European record-breaking feat in the space of 12 months.
After winning the 10km in Valencia last year in 26:53, Almgren broke the European 5000m record on home soil in the Stockholm Diamond League in June with 12:44.27 before becoming the first European in history to break the 59 minute-barrier for the half marathon with 58:41 in Valencia last October.
Almgren took another slice off his European record in Valencia with 26:45 which elevates him to sixth on the world all-time list. And he achieved the record despite having to do most of the leading after the sole pacemaker stepped off the course in the fourth kilometre.
Almgren said: “It’s the best conditions I’ve had here in Valencia. It’s so good but I had to take the front from three kilometres. It’s so tough to be in the front all the way. It’s not much but there was also a bit of a headwind in the final straight.”
With more assistance, Almgren believes there is still further room for improvement. "I said around a 10 second PB today - that would be acceptable - but I feel like I have a very fast time in me. If I could have had a pacemaker for 6-7 km, I think I can run very fast," said Almgren who is due to race over 10km again in Drammen, Norway on 11 April.
19-year-old Ethiopian Khairi Bejiga, who briefly took up the lead from Almgren in the eighth kilometre, finished second in a 26:51 PB with Kenya's Victor Kipruto third in 27:17.
And behind the leading trio, there was a glut of national records as 35 athletes broke the 28 minute-barrier in Valencia, a record in its own right.
Five national records among the top-10
Behind Almgren, Germany's Mohamed Abdilaahi and Norway's Magnus Tuv Myhre both crossed the finish-line in 27:22 to finish fifth and sixth and rewrite their country's respective national records for 10km.
Said Mechaal, the younger brother of 2017 European indoor 3000m champion Adel, also smashed the Spanish 10km record, finishing seventh in 27:25 to break Ilias Fifa's mark by 16 seconds.
"The work of the last four weeks, but also of the last two, three, and four years, has finally paid off today. I'm very happy, especially for the people who believed in me, for being able to give them this little gift and for them to be able to enjoy this Spanish record," said Mechaal.
In ninth, Jose Carlos Pinto smashed his Portuguese 10km record with 27:37 while Joe Wigfield equalled the British record with 27:38 in 11th.
European 10,000m Cup winner Efrem Gidey revised his Irish record in 12th in 27:38, finishing one place and one second ahead of Mike Foppen who improved the Dutch record to 27:39.
There was also a sizeable Icelandic record for Baldvin Magnusson who finished 15th in 27:40.
Full results here.
Updated world all-time 10km list
26:24 Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) - Valencia 2020
26:31 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) - Castellon 2025
26:33 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) - Laredo 2023
26:38 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) - Valencia 2019
26:44 Leonard Komon (KEN) - Utrecht 2010
26:45 Andreas Almgen (SWE) - Valencia 2026
26:48 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) - Valencia 2024
26:49 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) - Herzogenaurach 2024
26:50 Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) - Herzogenaurach 2022
26:51 Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) - Brasov 2022
26:51 Khairi Bejiga (ETH) - Valencia 2026
