MADRID, 4 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum has destroyed this Sunday the record of the Valencia-Trinidad Alfonso marathon, becoming the third fastest man in history in the distance with a mark of 2:01:53, while the Ethiopian Amane Beriso has done the same in her victory in the women’s category, in which Marta Galimany broke the Spanish record.
Among more than 25,000 runners, Kiptum, 23, surprised everyone in his debut in the distance to leave alone at kilometer 30 and cross the finish line in a time of 2:01:53, only behind in the ‘top ‘ historic 2:01:09 of his compatriot Eliod Kipchoge (2022) and 2:01:41 of the Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele (2019), both marks achieved in Berlin.
Thus, he commanded the podium of the 42nd edition of the race, completed by the Tanzanian Gabriel Geay and the Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, marathon world champion and great favorite in the Valencian event.
In the women’s category, the victory went to the Ethiopian Amane Beriso, who also put her mark of 2:14:58 in the ‘top 3’ of history, only behind the marks achieved in Chicago by the Kenyan Brigid Kosgei ( 2:14:04), in 2019, and by Ruth Chepngetich (2:14:18), in 2022.
The big favourite, also Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey -world record holder in the 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 meters and half marathon-, finished second, and the Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui was third. In addition, the Catalan Marta Galimany, with a time of 2:26:14, broke the Spanish marathon record, banishing the 1996 mark of the Palencia Ana Isabel Alonso (2:26:51).