Sheila Chepkirui runs world-leading time in Valencia

Crossing the finish line in second place was Diana Wanza with 1:03:52, followed by Daisilah Jerono in third with 1:04:11. The top ten women finished within 1:05:40, making the race the highest-level women’s field on average in history.

Another female athlete stealing the spotlight was Laura Luengo, who broke Carla Gallardo’s Spanish record set in Berlin (1:08:30) by three seconds. Luengo, who had been away from competition for a while, mentioned she had not been specifically training for this distance but was going to give it her all to see how far she could get, and she certainly did. The Spanish women’s podium was completed by Meritxell Soler and Irene Sánchez-Escribano, both finishing in 1:08:47.

In the men’s category, Rodrigue Kwizera, with his time of 58:03, not only broke the national record but also became the first Spaniard to win the race since it adopted the official distance of 21.097 kilometers. His friend and “almost brother” Thierry Ndikumwenayo didn’t make it easy for him, finishing second in 58:09, also improving the national record and setting the second-fastest European mark of all time, while Victor Kipruto placed third in 58:12.The third Spanish man was Aarón de las Heras (1:00:08). Behind them, the results of the remaining Spanish runners also made a massive splash in the national all-time rankings for both men and women.