Four European national records were broken in a super fast men’s race in the Valencia Marathon last year. Just how many will be broken on Sunday (7) morning?
Samuel Fitwi was among those to rewrite the record books, eclipsing the German record with a 2:04:56 clocking to shave two seconds off the previous mark set by world marathon silver medallist Amanal Petros. Both athletes will be racing in Valencia and Fitwi believes this will be a race to break the national record.
"Maybe one of us will run 2:04:30 and the other will be four or five seconds behind? But one of us will set a new record. That's going to happen," said Fitwi as quoted by Leichtathletik.de.
There is also a possibility of an Italian record with Yemaneberhan Crippa looking to rebound from a DNF at the World Athletics Championships. Crippa briefly held the Italian record last year with 2:06:06 but that mark was bettered by Yohanes Chiappinelli on this course last December with 2:05:24.
In total, four Europeans with sub-2:06 PBs will race. The line-up also includes Spanish record-holder Tariku Novales and France’s Nicolas Navarro who have lifetime bests of 2:05:48 and 2:05:53 respectively from the 2023 edition of the Valencia Marathon.
And there is also growing anticipation as Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee embarks on his second marathon after clocking 2:11:08 in the London Marathon in April. Yee recently ran a 61:29 half marathon which suggests a time under the 2:10-barrier is within the capacity of the multi-talented Brit who ran in the 10,000m at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Yee has revealed on social media that his training indicates he can run 2:05:46 but he isn’t putting any pressure on himself. “I’m excited to have one last go at the marathon distance. No expectations, just excitement! Vamos!” he said.
One more hurrah for Vainio in 2025?
One of the most intriguing entrants in the elite women’s race is Finland’s Alisa Vainio who will be contesting her third marathon in less than three months.
Only three weeks after finishing fifth in oppressive conditions at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Vainio won the marathon at the Finnish Championships in a solo 2:23:06 to shave over one minute off the Finnish record.
"I wanted to run hard. In Tokyo, I couldn't run hard in the heat and that was annoying. After Tokyo, the recovery went incredibly well and I wanted to be brave today," said Vainio after her record-breaking exploits.
Chloe Herbiet is also embarking on an ambitious series of races. The European half marathon champion finished third at the Belgian Cross Country Championships last weekend to seal her place on the Belgian team for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa and she fully intends to contest both races.
But for now, Herbiet’s attention will be focused solely on the Valencia Marathon on Sunday where she could approach Marleen Renders’ long-standing Belgian record of 2:23:05.
Charlotte Purdue also leads a strong British contingent in the women’s race. The multiple European cross country medallist is the third fastest Brit in history with 2:22:17 although she hasn’t finished a marathon since running that time in the Berlin Marathon in 2023.
Multiple European 3000m steeplechase champion Gesa-Felicitas Krause also takes her first steps in the marathon and the German is aiming to break the 2:30-barrier in her first attempt at the distance.
Gressier versus Lobalu in Geneva
World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier races competitively for the first time since the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo at the Course de l’Escalade in Geneva on Sunday (7).
Gressier will renew his rivalry with European 10,000m champion and home favourite Dominic Lobalu who pipped Gressier for victory in an epic sprint finish over a lapped course of 7.323km in last year’s edition.
And the pair could clash again the following weekend at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa. Lobalu and Gressier have been named on their country’s respective teams although Gressier will only decide on his participation next week following his return to racing in Geneva.
European 10,000m silver medallist Diane Van Es from the Netherlands will defend her title in the women’s race on the road to the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Van Es, who won by 24 seconds last year, is due to face a strong field with Germany’s Elena Burkard, France’s Manon Trapp, Flavie Renouard and Mekdes Woldu and a strong Kenyan contingent including last year’s third-placer Winnie Jeptarus and former world U20 3000m steeplechase champion Jackline Chepkoech all on the entry-list.