2024 Valencia Marathon: A Spectacular Debut for Sabastian Sawe with 2h02’05

35,000 runners lined up for the 44th edition of the Valencia Marathon on Sunday, December 1st, but it’s the name of Kenyan Sabastian Sawe that everyone will remember. Previously without experience in the marathon distance, the reigning half marathon world champion triumphed with the fifth-best time in history at 2h02’05. Let’s take a look back at an exhilarating race full of twists and turns.

2h02’05: Time for a Triumphant Victory

Rien ne prédisposait le champion du monde en titre du semi-marathon (Riga en 2023, record en 58’02) à se retrouver sur la tête du podium de l’épreuve phare de la “Cité du running”. Pour son galop d’essai sur la distance, Sabastian Sawe s’est illustré malgré la présence du vainqueur 2023 Sisay Lemma et de la légende Kenenisa Bekele.

By the 25th kilometer, there were still eight contenders for victory, but the leading pack included three main names: Kenyans Sabastian Sawe and Daniel Mateiko, along with Ethiopian Deresa Geleta Ulfata. At the 30th kilometer, Kenyan Mateiko made the first move, with Deresa Geleta in pursuit. Mateiko soon wore out, allowing Sabastian Sawe to launch a decisive attack. The 28-year-old runner stayed ahead for the remainder of the race, marking the best marathon time of the year: 2h02’05, surpassing the 2h02’16 set by his compatriot Benson Kipruto on March 3 in Tokyo.

Sabastian Sawe now ranks as the fifth-fastest of all time, trailing behind Kelvin Kiptum (2h00’35), Eliud Kipchoge (2h01’09 in 2022), Kenenisa Bekele (2h01’41 in 2019, despite dropping out at the 30th km) and Sisay Lemma (2h01’48 in 2023 in Valencia, 10th this Sunday with 2h04’59).

Abderrazak Charik and Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse Break 2h08

Though neither the world record nor the course record were broken on December 1st, 11 national records fell. Among them was Swiss runner Tadesse Abraham (42 years old), who clocked 2h04’40 in what could be his last marathon, finishing just off the podium. Among Spaniards, the first to cross the line was Ibrahim Chakir with a time of 2h07’32, closely followed by Daniel Mateo with 2h08’57 and Andreu Blanes. The latter set a new record for the Valencian Community with a time of 2h09’18.

For the French athletes, personal records kept falling! Abderrazak Charik and Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse shattered their times from last year, going from 2h08’35 to 2h07’20 for the former and from 2h09’36 to 2h07’52 for the latter. They are the only Frenchmen to break the 2h08 barrier. Jason Pointeau, the third French runner of the day, came close to breaking sub 2h10 (2h10’35).

Impressive Times Among the Women

Among the women, Mergetu Alemu dominated the race with a time of 2h16’49. By the halfway point, only four elite runners remained in the lead. At the 30th kilometer, the Ethiopian accelerated, leaving her competitors behind. Despite a strong start on a 2h14’58 pace, she couldn’t maintain the rhythm, even with pacers to assist her. She narrowly missed her personal best in the marathon distance. Completing the podium were Ugandan Stella Chesang in second place with 2h18’26, eleven seconds ahead of Tiruye Mesfin in third. These three women were the only ones to finish under 2h20 at the 2024 Valencia Marathon.

Close behind, the first Spanish runner, Majida Maayouf, excelled by finishing in 2h21’43, earning fifth place and the title of first European over the line. She narrowly missed breaking the Spanish record by just 16 seconds.

Seven French Women Break 2h40

Seven French Women ran sub 2h40 at the Valencia Marathon. After returning from nearly a year off and a four-year suspension for avoiding a doping test, Clémence Calvin won the honorary title of first Frenchwoman in 2h27’30. Second was Salomé Brun (2h30’33), who shattered her record by several minutes, coming within 33 seconds of the 2h30 mark. Other satisfying performances came from Inès Hamoudi (2h31’14), Mathilde Sénéchal (2h32’42), Elisa Morin (2h’36’54), Magali Jaunet (2h38’31), and Jeanne Garreau (2h39’33).

The Valencia Marathon showcased impressive statistics this year, confirming the race’s reputation for speed. 18% of runners crossed the finish line in under 3 hours, significantly higher than the Berlin Marathon’s average of 7%.

An Emotion-Filled Edition

This 44th edition of the Valencia Marathon had a different aura compared to previous years. Before the start, the hymn of the Valencian Community was played, and a tribute was paid to the victims and those affected with a moment of silence. The city, heavily hit by violent floods on October 29th, viewed this race as a means of supporting the affected population.

With an economic impact equivalent to 67 million euros, it was essential to maintain the event to support the local economy and aid those impacted by the disaster. Additionally, the organization pledged to donate 3 euros per finisher to the Valencian Community and encouraged donations to various funds. In total, 189,000 euros were raised, a significant amount aimed at aiding Valencians in their recovery efforts.