The Valencia marathon in search of the world record

El Valencia Marathon  has made public the definitive list of 218 athletes who will compete on December 6 in the city of running.[no_toc]

With the level that will be soughtto beat the current records of the circuit y get as close as possible to the world record male and female.

The test will be one of the few to be held, after a long stop without competitions caused by COVID-19, and in it more than 100 athletes from 43 different countries will fight to achieve the Olympic minimum (2h21: 30 in men and 2h29: 30 in women).

It is one of the few options to get the minimum for Tokyo

Due to the speed of the Valencia circuit and the suspension of marathons in the world, the Elite Edition of next December 6 is one of the few valid options to achieve the standard mark for participation in the Olympic event next summer.

The top 10 classified will obtain the Olympic classification

In addition, the top ten finishers, both men and women, will obtain - as long as their federations select them - the direct Olympic classification thanks to the World Athletics regulations for Platinum Label races, which the Valencia Marathon opens this 2020, one of all 13 tests around the world with this distinction.

The favorites

For this direct classification of the top 10, the main athletes selected by Marc Roig will be in the running, among others:

• Birhanu Legese (2:02:48), third best mark in history
• Kinde Atanaw (2h03: 51), first classified in 2019
• Leul Gebreselasie (2h04: 02), winner in 2018
• Lawrence Cherono (2h04: 06)
• Kaan Kigen Özbilen (2:04:16), European marathon record holder
• Lelisa Desisa (2h04: 45), current world distance champion

In total, there are 21 athletes below 2h07: 00 and 35 with marks sub 2h20: 00.

For its part, in the female category, the participation of:

• Ruti Aga (2h28: 34)
• Birhane Dibaba (2h28: 35)
• Degitu Azemiraw (2h29: 26)
• Zeineba Yimer (2h29: 28)
• Tigist Girma (2h29: 52)

Along with them, other outstanding athletes will run such as Joyciline Jepkosgei (2h22: 38), who in 2017 beat the WR in the Valencian 21K, Joan Chelimo (1h05: 24 - 21K) or Peres Jepchirchir (1h05: 16), brand new world record for half a marathon in women's only races at the Gdynia (Poland) World Championship held on October 17.

In total, there will be 28 women with registrations below 2h30: 00.

Spanish athletes

At the national level, 55 Spanish athletes (33 men and 22 women) selected by José Antonio Redolat, head of the national elite, will start on December 6 in looking for the minimum that takes them to the Olympic Games, set by the RFEA at 2:21:13 in the men's category.

Those chosen to run in the streets of Valencia will be Hamid ben daoud (2h07: 33), Ayad Lamdassem (2h09: 28), Ivan Fernandez Anaya (2h09: 55), Camilo Santiago (2h20: 02), Houssame Eddine Benabbou (2h20: 45), Daniel Mateo (2h20: 53), Iraitz Arrospide (2h20: 59), Juan Antonio 'Chiki' Pérez (2h21: 50), in addition to the long-awaited debut of Toni Abadía in the distance.

On the other hand, in the female career they stand out Marta Galimany (2h29: 02), Elena Loyo (2h30: 57), Irene Pelayo (2h32: 15), Marisa Casanueva (2h32: 22), Barrachina Gem (2h33: 29) and Alicia perez (2:35:17), among others, and the debutants Teresa Urbina and Nuria Lugueros, from whom great records are expected.

Full listing