MADRID, 31 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish athlete Marta García won this Tuesday the 60th edition of the Nationale Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana with a Spanish record for the event (31.18) after beating the great favorite of the event, the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, while, in the category male, the Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo and the Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi crossed together, although the latter slightly ahead, lowering the test record to 26 minutes and 31 seconds.
The San Silvestre Vallecana 2024 has closed the sporting year in Spain in style thanks to the victory of the Spanish Marta García. In addition, the European bronze medalist in the 5,000m established a new national record in the event. After her, Cheptngetich, the big favorite, came in second position, with Águeda Marqués from Segovia closing the podium.
For its part, the men’s event also shined with a stratospheric test record established by Kiplimo and Aregawi, who did the race together from start to finish. Finally, victory would end up falling to Aregawi for the second consecutive year in a final sprint that was not very competitive. The best Spaniard, Abdel Mechaal, would finish third.
The main duel of the San Silvestre was between the Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo and the Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi, but the Spanish Abdel Mechaal and Aaron Las Heras wanted to be the protagonist of the race and they showed it from the beginning. However, the pace of the favorites reduced the group in the first kilometers of the test to only six athletes, among whom Las Heras did hold out.
But the race ended up becoming a head-to-head after the first eight minutes of the race with Kiplimo and Aregawi as the protagonists. The pace of both was devilish and with a view to achieving one of the best scores in the history of the race. While, behind, the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, who arrived as the great favorite, formed her particular duo at the head of the race with the Spanish Marta García.
This is how both categories would arrive in the Vallecas neighborhood. There, in the men’s event, Kiplimo and Aregawi arrived at the Vallecas stadium together with stratospheric weather. And in a very tight finish they entered the finish line together, breaking the race record with a historic 26.30, although the victory ended up in the hands of while third position would go to the best Spaniard, Abdel Mechaal, with a time of 27 minutes and 38 seconds, which went from less to more during the race.
While in the women’s race, Marta García began by dealing the final blow to the race in the first meters of the race in the neighborhood, leaving Chepngetich behind. The Spaniard was putting together a historic performance, beating the marathon world champion in Doha, and allowed herself to complete the final meters inside the Vallecas stadium and win with a time of 31 minutes and 18 seconds, also breaking the best record Spanish competition. Behind her, Cheptngetich and Águeda Marqués closed the podium.