Kwizera smashes the Spanish record in Valencia, Chepkirui wins the sprint, Roudolff-Levisse becomes France's second-fastest ever

On Sunday, October 25, under a bright sun, the Valencia Half Marathon once again delivered. Rodrigue Kwizera won in 58:03, a new Spanish record, and became the first Spaniard to take the title since the race moved to the official half distance. In the women's race, Sheila Chepkirui won the sprint in 1:03:51 in the deepest field in history, with six women under 1:05. And Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse ran a monumental 59:23 to become the second-fastest Frenchman ever over the distance.

8:25 a.m., Avenida dels Tarongers. After two editions in the rain, the sun finally shows up in Valencia, much to the delight of the athletes lined up for one of the fastest half marathons in the world. Defending champions Yomif Kejelcha and Agnes Ngetich weren't there. On paper, both races were wide open, and once again Valencia confirmed its status as the Ciudad del Running. Here's how the 35th Valencia Half Marathon unfolded.

Rodrigue Kwizera runs the race like a boss

The tone was set from the gun. The lead pack hit 5K in 13:44, roughly 2:45 per kilometer. About ten men made up that dense, hungry group, determined to make the most of ideal conditions (14°C, no wind). The front pack went through 10K in 27:39, on pace for a 58:20 half.

Rodrigue Kwizera, the overwhelming favorite, never hid in the pack. The pacers did their job up to 10K, then he took over and dictated the tempo. At 15K, reached in 41:32, the Spaniard still had seven men with him. Then, kilometer after kilometer, the field thinned out naturally. By 20K (55:13), only three were left: Kwizera, his compatriot and training partner Thierry Ndikumwenayo, and Kenya's Victor Kipruto, making his half marathon debut.

Kwizera stayed patient and saved his attack for the final kilometer. After a glance over his shoulder, he saw that nobody had the legs to come back at him. On the streets of Valencia, he was simply the strongest. He crossed the line in 58:03, having covered the last 1,100 meters in 2:50 (about 2:35/km). Behind him, Ndikumwenayo took second in 58:09 and Kipruto completed the podium in 58:12. Tadese Worku (58:33) and Owen Kapkama (58:42) rounded out a top five under 59 minutes. With exceptional depth (12 men under the hour), Valencia once again lived up to its reputation. Even without the big names of the international circuit, the show was there, and this 35th edition confirmed the rise of a new generation.

Valencia Half Marathon 2026: Kwizera sets a Spanish record in 58:03, Chepkirui wins the sprint and Roudolff-Levisse becomes France's second-fastest ever in 59:23.

Also worth noting is the impressive 59:12 from American-born Yaseen Abdalla. That time is 5 seconds faster than the official US record held by Conner Mantz (59:17), but it won't count as an American record because the 25-year-old has chosen to represent Sudan, his country of origin, internationally. It does, however, stand as a new Sudanese national record.

There was big disappointment for Kenenisa Bekele. At 44, age is starting to weigh on the Ethiopian legend. He came to Valencia dreaming of finally breaking the hour, his best being 1:00:22 (London, 2020). He hit 5K in 14:38, didn't show up at the 10K checkpoint and was forced to drop out. It was his first race of the year, after he withdrew from the Berlin Marathon in September with an Achilles tendon injury.

Men's results (top 15)

Position	Athlete	Country	Time
1	Rodrigue Kwizera	Spain	58:03
2	Thierry Ndikumwenayo	Spain	58:09
3	Victor Kipruto	Kenya	58:12
4	Tadese Worku	Ethiopia	58:33
5	Owen Kapkama	Kenya	58:42
6	Jemal Yimer	Ethiopia	59:01
7	James Kipkosgei	Kenya	59:03
8	Yaseen Abdalla	Sudan	59:12
9	Daniel Ebenyo	Kenya	59:20
10	Melkeneh Azize	Ethiopia	59:20
11	Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse	France	59:23
12	Maxime Chaumeton	South Africa	59:44
13	Aarón de las Heras	Spain	1:00:08
14	Tomoya Ogikubo	Japan	1:00:20
15	Jacob Simonsen	Denmark	1:00:42

A new Spanish record, but no European record

For Spain, it's a historic day. Kwizera, 27, naturalized as a Spaniard this year, finished second here last year, just behind Yomif Kejelcha. He knows the Valencia course by heart. This time he wins, and he also wipes out Carlos Mayo's Spanish record (59:39, set in Valencia in 2023). Ndikumwenayo, his compatriot and friend, also went under the old mark and posted the second-best European performance in history.

A new Spanish record but no European record? Kwizera's time is faster than the European record of Andreas Almgren (58:06), set in September in Copenhagen on his way to the world title. But it won't be ratified as a European record, for a specific reason explained by World Athletics: his change of nationality, from Burundi to Spain, hasn't been made official yet. An administrative detail that takes nothing away from Kwizera's huge performance, which makes him the eighth-fastest man in half marathon history. In a rare and rather unusual twist, his compatriot Thierry Ndikumwenayo could have finished behind him and still set a European record ratified by World Athletics. He has been a naturalized Spaniard since 2023, and his transfer from Burundi to Spain was finalized by World Athletics. Unfortunately for him, he missed Almgren's mark (58:06) by just 3 seconds.

Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse, France's second-fastest ever

Among the best runners in the world, one Frenchman made his mark. Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse finished 11th in 59:23 and became the second-fastest French performer in half marathon history, just ahead of Etienne Daguinos (59:27). Only Franco-Swiss Julien Wanders, who has held the French record of 59:13 since 2019, has run faster.

The time crowns an exceptional 2026 road season. It started fast in January with a win at the Seville half. In February he took third in Barcelona and broke the hour for the first time (59:37). In April at the Paris Marathon he ran a resounding 2:05:58: sixth place, first Frenchman, and now the fourth-fastest Frenchman ever over the distance. In August he finished 11th in the marathon at the European Championships in Birmingham and won team bronze with the Bleus. And just two weeks ago, he was second at the Paris 20K. But the best may still be to come...

The 31-year-old from Athlé 92, son of former Olympian Pierre Lévisse, will be back in Valencia on December 6 for the marathon, with a lot at stake: the qualification window for the LA 2028 Olympic Games opens on November 1. A big time in Spain would already earn him plenty of points toward a place at the Games. Valencia is one of World Athletics' Platinum Label races, so a top-five finish could by itself give him a strong shot at selection for the French team.

Chepkirui wins the sprint and runs the world lead

The women's race was intense and full of suspense. The pace only went up as the race went on. The leaders hit 5K in 15:18, then picked it up over the second 5K: 30:27 at 10K, 9 seconds faster than the first split.

At 15K (45:31), three Kenyans broke away: Sheila Chepkirui, Diana Wanza and Daisilah Jerono. They already had a 24-second lead on the chasers. Then Jerono finally let go of the lead pack. By 20K (1:00:30), Chepkirui and Wanza were alone in front, side by side, 7 seconds clear.

The finish turned into a duel between the two Kenyans. Chepkirui launched the final sprint with Wanza right on her shoulder, trying to hang on to the end. But Chepkirui held firm all the way to the finish arch. One second separates them on the line: 1:03:51 for Chepkirui, 1:03:52 for Wanza. Two personal bests and two places in history: Chepkirui enters the all-time top five, with Wanza just behind her. Chepkirui's time is also the world lead for the year.

Jerono completed the podium in 1:04:11, also with a new personal best. Behind her, Ethiopians Mizan Alem (1:04:54) and Senayet Getachew (1:04:57), then Kenya's Caroline Gitonga (1:04:59), all broke 1:05. Six women under 1:05 in the same race is exceptional, and quite simply a first in history. With the entire top 10 inside 1:05:40, it's a depth the race had never seen before.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw deserves a mention. The former 10K world record holder was running her first race since the birth of her son earlier this year. She finished 16th in 1:07:21. Spain also celebrates a new women's record: Laura Luengo ran 1:08:28, erasing Carla Gallardo's 1:08:30. Belgium's Jana Van Lent, meanwhile, ran 1:07:39, just 7 seconds off the Belgian record.

Women's results (top 15)

Position	Athlete	Country	Time
1	Sheila Chepkirui	Kenya	1:03:51
2	Diana Wanza	Kenya	1:03:52
3	Daisilah Jerono	Kenya	1:04:11
4	Mizan Alem	Ethiopia	1:04:54
5	Senayet Getachew	Ethiopia	1:04:57
6	Caroline Gitonga	Kenya	1:04:59
7	Gladys Kwamboka	Kenya	1:05:02
8	Jesca Chelangat	Kenya	1:05:29
9	Miriam Chebet	Kenya	1:05:39
10	Aynadis Mebratu	Ethiopia	1:05:40
11	Purity Gitonga	Kenya	1:05:56
12	Faith Cherono	Kenya	1:06:13
13	Tsigie Gebreselama	Ethiopia	1:06:20
14	Ftaw Zeray	Ethiopia	1:06:41
15	Axumawit Embaye	Ethiopia	1:06:43

Valencia: 25,733 finishers and a generous charity haul

Beyond the supersonic times, Valencia once again threw a huge people's party. In all, 25,733 runners crossed the finish line on Avenida dels Tarongers. Along the course, more than 70 entertainment points and thousands of locals cheered on runners from all over the world (132 nationalities represented).

Every finisher also ran for a good cause. The Z Zurich Foundation donated 1 euro per finisher, or 25,733 euros, to Músicos por la Salud, the official charity of the edition. That adds to the 26,535 euros given directly by the 26,500 participants when they registered. In total, Realbuzz, the charity partner of the SuperHalfs circuit that Valencia belongs to, raised more than 166,000 euros!

The 35th Valencia Half Marathon delivered on every promise. A new Spanish record for Rodrigue Kwizera, a European record that shook but still stands, the world lead for Sheila Chepkirui and a Roudolff-Levisse at his best in 59:23: Valencia never disappoints. The next date is December 6 for the Ciudad del Running's big annual celebration, the Valencia Marathon. We can't wait.

Find the full results of the 2026 Valencia Half Marathon on the official website