The Spanish city once again hosts a star-studded field with more than a dozen Brits making the trip in pursuit of personal bests on what is traditionally a fast course.
The Valencia Marathon has always attracted the best distance runners in the world.
Although Abbott is not one of the current seven athletes in the World Marathon Major, the field is usually assembled in Valencia, with the current course records held by Ethiopian duo Sisay Lemma and Amane Berriso.
Lemma ran 2:01:48 for her victory two years ago, which puts her fourth on the men’s all-time list, while Berriso won in 2:14:58 three years ago, which currently ranks her sixth on the women’s all-time list.
The pair headline this year’s edition (December 7) and boast the fastest times in their respective fields. However, they haven’t competed since the Boston Marathon in April, with Lemma failing to finish and Berriso finishing fifth in 2:21:58.
Lemma, the 2024 Boston Marathon and 2021 London Marathon champion, will likely face his biggest challenge from John Corriere, who is best in 2:02:44 for the 26.2 miles.
Korir then went on to win last year’s Chicago Marathon before going on to win Boston back in April. The Kenyan was hoping to go 2:01 in Chicago, but a DNF did it.
Tesfaye Deriba has the third-fastest time in the field at 2:04:13, which he set by winning this year’s Barcelona Marathon. He also represented Ethiopia over 26.2 miles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, but failed to finish.
One athlete aiming to improve on her finish in last year’s Valencia Marathon is Kenya’s Hilary Kipkoch. He ran 2:04:45 for eighth and followed that up with 2:06:05 to finish seventh in the London Marathon.
The two leading European athletes, Samuel Fitvi and Amanal Petros, are both from Germany. Fitvi set a national record of 2:04:56 in Valencia last season, while Petros, a world marathon silver medalist from Tokyo, set a personal best of 2:04:58 in Berlin two years ago.
Spain’s Tariku Novales (2:05:48), France’s Nico Navarro (2:05:53) and Italy’s Yemaneberhan Kripa (2:06:06) take to the starting line in a strong continental European field.
An incredible 14 British men with personal bests of 2:15:00 or faster will compete in this year’s Valencia Marathon.
Phil Sesemann is the fastest of the field and set a personal best of 2:07:18 in Amsterdam just two months ago. It will be the Briton’s third race over 26.2 miles in 2025, after he ran 2:14:46 in London in April.
Callum Hawkins bested the field in 2:08:14, but that was set at the 2019 London Marathon. The 60:00 half-marathon runner has competed twice this season, running 62:55 and 63:47 in Cardiff and Madrid respectively.
Jonny Mellor arrives in Valencia in 28:28 over 10km at Wilmslow and will aim to approach his marathon best of 2:09:06 from Seville last year.
After running 2:11:08 in his marathon debut in London, Alex Yee will be hoping to go even faster in Valencia and, based on his training, is in good shape to do so.
The Olympic triathlete has clocked more than 100 miles in five weeks of training and, according to his COROS PACE 4 watch, is on target to run 2:05:46, a time that would take him second on the UK all-time list behind Mo Farah (2:05:11).
Tom Evans, the ultra-runner who won last year’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run and this season’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, is running his first marathon in eight years.
The Brit represented Great Britain at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Poland, but has not run over 26.2 miles since clocking 2:26:07 at the 2017 Frankfurt Marathon.
Jack Rowe is aiming to complete his first marathon since failing to finish in London last year. The 60:53 half-marathoner has topped 13.1 miles this season to win the Big Half.
Others to look out for include Weinai Gebresilassie (2:09:50), Luke Caldwell (2:11:13) and Ben Connor (2:11:20).
In the women’s elite field, expect a three-way battle between Beriso, Peres Jepchirchir and Joycelyn Jepkosgei.
Although Berriso has the fastest record on the field, both Yepchirchir and Yepkosgei have been in better form this season.
Three-time world marathon champion Jepchirchir beat Olympic champion Tigist Assefa to secure the gold medal in the 26.2-mile event at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The Kenyan’s 2:24:43 was a long way off her previous women’s only record of 2:16:16 – a mark (2:15:50) currently held by Assefa – but Jepchirchir could go faster and claim victory in Valencia.
You can’t count out his compatriot Jepkosgei, though, especially since he finished second to Assefa in this year’s London Marathon in 2:18:44.
Jepkosgei is a winner of both the London and New York marathons and has a personal best of 2:16:24 over 26.2 miles.
Both the USA and Australia boast a number of athletes in this year’s Valencia Marathon, with the Americans led by Kira D’Amato (2:19:12) and Emma Bates (2:23:18).
Australia have three sub-2:24 women in the field, so expect Jessica Stenson (2:22:56), Isobel Bath-Doyle (2:22:59) and Genevieve Gregson (2:23:08) to do well.
Charlotte Perdew leads the British women’s entries for Valencia and has the sixth fastest time in the field in 2:22:17.
Currently third on the UK all-time list behind Paula Radcliffe and Kali Hauger-Thackery, Purdue has not run a marathon since running in Berlin two years ago. He was due to run in London back in April, but he pulled out as a precaution.
With a best of 2:25:12, Lily Partridge is the second fastest Briton in Valencia and, currently 11th, will be aiming to break into the top 10 in the UK rankings. Partridge will fancy his chances as his fastest marathon came two years ago in Valencia. He finished 23rd in April’s Boston Marathon in 2:32:19.
Natasha Wilson is a 2:26:14 marathon runner, which she set three years ago in Valencia, and arrives in the Spanish city on the back of three half marathons and a time of 2:27:12 over 26.2 miles in Hamburg.
Other Britons included Becky Briggs (2:29:06), Naomi Robinson (2:30:54) and Leila Armush (2:33:25).
