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Valencia Half Marathon 2025: French Record for Alessia Zarbo, European Record for Andreas Almgren
In Valencia, Spain, road racing records often waver—and fall. This year’s half marathon was no exception, combining an exceptionally deep field with standout performances. Among the French athletes, Alessia Zarbo set a new French record with a time of 1:08:20, while Sweden’s Andreas Almgren broke the European record for the distance in 58:41. Several other French runners also made their mark among the thousands of athletes from around the world who took part on Sunday, October 26.
The city of Valencia has firmly established itself as a must-visit destination for time chasers. Whether it’s the marathon, half marathon, or 10K, the Spanish city attracts both amateurs and professionals. With its pleasant climate, festive atmosphere, and lightning-fast courses, Valencia has everything to captivate running enthusiasts.
This year, the 34th edition of the Valencia Half Marathon left a strong impression despite the wind, featuring an exceptional world-class field. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha dominated the race, winning solo in 58:02 after an impressive show of strength. Already the author of a remarkable 57:30 performance in 2024, the 2025 world silver medalist over 10,000 meters finished ahead of Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera (58:38) and Kenya’s Brian Kibor (58:39).
| Alessia Zarbo, queen of the half marathon in 1:08:20
1:08:20 — that’s now the new French benchmark for the half marathon, set this weekend by Alessia Zarbo from Antibes. The HOKA athlete placed eighth overall, lowering Mekdes Woldu‘s national record by seven seconds (1:08:27 set in 2022 in Málaga). It was an outstanding performance that confirmed the rapid rise of the young professional runner, who also broke the French 10K record just over a month ago with a 31:00 performance in Prague. Crowned French half marathon champion earlier this year in Auray-Vannes with a debut time of 1:09:53, the Antibes-born middle-distance runner showcased her full potential in Valencia, improving her mark on just her second attempt at the distance. At 24, Alessia Zarbo is emerging as one of the brightest hopes in French athletics.
Ahead of the Racing Multi Athlon athlete, the 2025 half marathon title went to Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich, who won in 1:03:08, just 16 seconds shy of the world record. Long on pace to break that record, she faded slightly in the closing kilometers. Still, her time stands as the world’s fastest this year and the third-best ever recorded. Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay and Veronic Lolea completed the women’s podium with times of 1:05:10 and 1:05:46, respectively. France’s Fadouwa Ledhem (1:09:19) and Mathilde Sénéchal (1:12:12) both achieved new personal bests.
| Andreas Almgren, new European half marathon record holder
In the men’s race, Sweden’s Andreas Almgren made a powerful statement. Finishing fourth in 58:41, the 2025 World Championships 10,000-meter bronze medalist shaved more than thirty seconds off the previous European record (59:13, set in 2019 by Julien Wanders). His time makes him the first European in history to break the 59-minute barrier for the half marathon. Already the European record holder over 10K and 5,000 meters, the Scandinavian continues his remarkable rise. Notably, this was only his second-ever race at the distance—making his achievement all the more impressive.
| Strong showing from the French contingent
The French athletes competing in this iconic race delivered strong performances. Franco-Algerian runner Abderrazak Charik clocked 1:01:32 to finish 21st, followed by French national team regulars Simon Bédard (31st in 1:02:35) and Fabien Palcau (33rd in 1:02:36), whose times fell short of their expectations.
Alongside them was Julien Rabaca from the Haute-Loire region, who only began running in 2020 and is steadily establishing himself among France’s best distance runners. In Spain, the 24-year-old half-miler posted a promising 1:02:36 (34th), improving on his previous mark of 1:03:30 set at the same event in 2024. The result comes as no surprise for the Athletic Club Secteur Monistrol runner, who won the Run in Lyon half marathon earlier this month and ran 2:15:34 in 2024 in his marathon debut.
Former French youth international Florian Le Pallec also stood out, running 1:03:41 for 47th place. Close behind, Eliott Tissier (48th in 1:03:42), Téo Dubuc (53rd in 1:03:58), and Run Wise founder Maxime Lopes (54th in 1:03:58) all dipped under the 1:04 mark.
Valencia never disappoints when it comes to road racing—and runners know it well. The 2025 edition was no exception, highlighted by world-class performances, including the European record from Andreas Almgren and the French record from Alessia Zarbo. The French athletes also rose to the occasion with several outstanding performances. The city will once again be a key destination for many enthusiasts in just a few weeks, with the iconic Valencia Marathon set to take place on Sunday, December 7.
Emma BERT
Journaliste
