Guteni Shone and Azmera Gebru start as the favourites in Valencia

This year Valencia Marathon organisers have planned a sub-70 minute target at the half marathon mark with the goal to break the 2:20 barrier. 

The line-up is led by Ethiopia’s Guteni Shone, who narrowly missed the 2:20 barrier when she finished runner-up in 2:20:11 in Dubai in 2020. She finished second in Prague last May setting her seasonal best of 2:21:46. 

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Shone will face her compatriot Azmera Gebru, who improved her PB to 2:20:48 at the 2019 Amsterdam Marathon. 

The line-up also features Bornes Kitur Chepkirui from Kenya, winner at the 2018 Prague Marathon in 2:24:19 and in Lubljana in her PB of 2:21:26, Juliet Chekwel, who improved the Ugandan record to 2:23:13 in Seville in 2020, Nancy Jelagat, who holds a half marathon record of 1:05:21, Rahma Tusa from Ethiopia, who won the Rome Marathon three times in a row in 2016, 2017 and 2018, finished fifth in New York in 2018 and holds a PB of 2:23:46, and Dorcas Tuitoek, who ran a lifetime best of 1:06:33 in her career at the Istanbul Half Marathon in 2019 and will run the first marathon of her career. 

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir set the course record last year clocking 2:17:16. 

“This year’s marathon is extremely competitive, as we like it in Valencia. I don’t rule out a sprint finish in the women’s race. Valencia offers one of the best courses for achieving personal best times”, said elite coordinator Marc Roig.

Geoffrey Kamworor and Lawrence Cherono in the spotlight at the Valencia Marathon

Women's Elite field