Sunday 7 December 2025, 8:15 a.m. Under a bright winter sun rising over the City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia once again proved why it is known worldwide as the City of Running. The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich celebrated its 45th edition with a Kenyan double, a cascade of national records and a historic milestone: for the first time ever, more than 30,000 runners crossed the iconic blue finish line.
At the front, John Korir produced a textbook marathon performance, negative-splitting his way to victory in 2:02:24 and edging close to the year’s best marks. In the women’s race, Joyciline Jepkosgei flew to an astonishing 2:14:00, the fastest women’s marathon time of 2025 and the fourth-fastest in history. Behind them, Europe enjoyed a remarkable morning with several national records, while Britain’s Alex Yee showed he is far more than “just” an Olympic triathlon champion dabbling in the marathon.
Whether you ran, watched the live stream or are considering putting your name on the start list in the future, this Valencia Marathon 2025 race report walks you through the key results, big stories of the day and the takeaways you can apply to your own 42K.
Key facts from the Valencia Marathon 2025: results and headline numbers
First, a snapshot of what the Valencia Marathon 2025 delivered:
- Date: Sunday 7 December 2025.
- Start time: 8:15 a.m., from Plaça de la Marató.
- Finish: blue runway over the water inside the City of Arts and Sciences.
- Entries: around 36,000 bibs, with roughly 67% international runners from more than 150 countries.
- Finishers: 30,777 runners completed the 42.195 km, a new all-time record for the event.
- On-course entertainment: more than 160 cheering points with fallas groups, schools, clubs and bands along the route.
At the sharp end, the numbers tell their own story:
- Men’s winner: John Korir (Kenya) – 2:02:24, a 20-second personal best and one of the fastest times in the world this year.
- Men’s podium: Amanal Petros (Germany) – 2:04:03 (national record), Awet Kibrab (Norway) – 2:04:24 (national record).
- Other standouts: Suguru Osako (Japan) – 2:04:55 (national record) and Alex Yee (Great Britain) – 2:06:38, the second-fastest British marathoner in history.
- Women’s winner: Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) – 2:14:00, world-leading mark and fourth-fastest women’s marathon ever.
- Women’s podium: Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) – 2:14:43, Chloé Herbiet (Belgium) – 2:20:38 (national record).
- More national records: Alisa Vainio (Finland) – 2:20:48 and Jessica Stenson (Australia) – 2:21:24, both rewriting their countries’ all-time lists.
From a Spanish perspective, there was plenty to celebrate too. Ibrahim Chakir led the home charge in 2:07:21, followed by a strong group of Spaniards under 2:09, all securing qualification for the European Championships in Birmingham. In the women’s race, Meritxell Soler clocked a superb 2:23:49, one of the fastest Spanish marathon times ever and the perfect capstone to her breakout season.
Men’s race: John Korir’s comeback on the blue carpet
The men’s race at the Valencia Marathon 2025 was, above all, a story of redemption. In October, John Korir stepped off the course in Chicago after blasting through halfway at world record pace. In Valencia, the script was reversed: controlled early pacing, a devastating negative split and victory with a lifetime best.
From the early kilometres, a stacked lead pack formed behind the pacemakers: course record holder Sisay Lemma, Germany’s Amanal Petros, Norway’s Awet Kibrab, Japan’s Suguru Osako and more. Once again, Valencia had assembled a field worthy of a global championship.
With temperatures warmer than ideal for December marathon running, the message was clear: don’t burn all your matches in the first half. Korir took that to heart, biding his time and waiting for the key moment.
Control, then attack
After halfway, the lead group gradually began to thin out. Petros, Kibrab and Osako focused on their own national record bids, while Korir looked increasingly relaxed. In the final kilometres, as the course headed back towards the City of Arts and Sciences, the Kenyan struck decisively.
The result was a perfectly executed negative split, a winning time of 2:02:24 and a strong statement to close his season after earlier wins in Chicago and Boston. Behind him, Petros and Kibrab completed a world-class podium, both with big personal bests and national records.
Spanish marathoners step up
For the home crowd, the men’s race offered a glimpse of a very bright future. Ibrahim Chakir led the Spanish contingent in 2:07:21, with Jorge González Rivera, Nassim Hassaous, Carlos Mayo, Fernando Carro and Jorge Blanco all dipping under 2:10 and punching their tickets to Birmingham.
National record holder Tariku Novales was forced to drop out after an aggressive start, a reminder of how unforgiving the marathon can be. But overall, Valencia once again confirmed itself as the place where Spanish marathoners go to chase big breakthroughs.
Women’s race: Joyciline Jepkosgei’s 2:14 masterclass
If the men’s race delivered a headline performance, the women’s race was nothing short of a masterclass. The long-awaited clash between Joyciline Jepkosgei and Peres Jepchirchir lived up to the hype, with both Kenyans running at an extraordinary pace deep into the race.
Jepkosgei, who famously broke the half marathon world record in Valencia back in 2017, seemed perfectly at ease on the streets of the City of Running. As the sun climbed higher and the kilometres ticked by, she was the one who found an extra gear. With pacemakers gone and Jepchirchir slowly drifting back, Jepkosgei pressed on towards the blue carpet.
She stopped the clock at 2:14:00, a massive personal best, the world-leading time for 2025 and the fourth-fastest women’s marathon ever recorded. Jepchirchir followed in 2:14:43, sealing a Kenyan 1–2 that cements the country’s dominance over 42K.
National records and Meritxell Soler’s breakthrough
Behind the Kenyan stars, the women’s race turned into a festival of national records. Belgium’s Chloé Herbiet (2:20:38), Finland’s Alisa Vainio (2:20:48) and Australia’s Jessica Stenson (2:21:24) all rewrote their countries’ all-time lists, underlining just how fast the Valencia course can be when conditions and preparation align.
From a Spanish point of view, the day belonged to Meritxell Soler. Making her Valencia Marathon debut, she delivered a superb 2:23:49, adding a world-class mark to a season that already included major performances over 10K and half marathon. For many amateur runners, her race is the perfect example of how patience, smart pacing and respect for the distance can come together on the right day.
Atmosphere and mass participation: 30,777 stories on the blue runway
Beyond the elite times, the Valencia Marathon 2025 was, above all, a massive celebration of popular running. 30,777 finishers means tens of thousands of personal stories: long training blocks, nervous bib collections, early alarms, gels, rough patches around kilometre 32 and, finally, tears and smiles on the blue runway over the water.
The city once again delivered the kind of atmosphere runners rave about: drumming groups, brass bands, fallas associations, school choirs, DJs and families lining the course with homemade signs and improvised aid stations. There were virtually no “dead zones” along the 42 km – just a constant wall of noise pushing runners forward.
It was also a record day on the charity front. This year’s charity partner, the Pequeño Deseo Foundation, received more than €90,000 thanks to runner donations, a “one euro per finisher” campaign from the Z Zurich Foundation and additional fundraising from the Mini Marathon and the NB Long Run. At the same time, the event strengthened its reputation as a benchmark for sustainable race organisation, maintaining certifications such as the Green Sport Flag and World Athletics’ sustainability standard.
What the Valencia Marathon 2025 can teach you about your next 42K
A good race report doesn’t just list times and names; it also asks a crucial question: what can the rest of us learn from what happened? The Valencia Marathon 2025 leaves several useful lessons for any runner dreaming of the blue finish line – or of any other marathon, for that matter.
1. The course is fast, but the weather still matters
Valencia is one of the fastest marathons on the planet thanks to its flat profile, sea-level altitude and smooth road surface. But this year, the decisive variable was the slightly warmer-than-ideal temperature. Many runners felt the extra heat from midway onwards.
- Don’t assume the weather will be perfect just because historical averages look ideal.
- Hydrate proactively from the very first aid stations.
- If the forecast suggests higher temperatures, adjust your target pace by a few seconds per kilometre.
2. Negative splits win the day: lessons from Korir and Yee
Both John Korir and Alex Yee built their outstanding performances on a simple idea: running the second half faster than the first. On such a fast course, it is incredibly tempting to get carried away early on – but their example shows that saving energy for kilometres 30–40 changes everything.
- Plan your marathon with a slightly conservative start (5–10 seconds/km slower than goal pace).
- Use packs running at your level to keep effort steady and avoid surges.
- Save your “attack mode” for the final third, when most runners are slowing down.
3. Valencia as a national-record factory – for elites and amateurs
The national records set by Petros, Kibrab, Osako, Herbiet, Vainio and Stenson confirm what many already suspected: if you arrive fit and healthy, Valencia is one of the very best places on Earth to run fast. That applies not only to elites, but also to amateur runners chasing sub-4, sub-3:30 or sub-3 performances.
- Use tune-up races (10K, half marathon) to define a realistic marathon pace.
- Include long runs with stretches at marathon pace in your build-up.
- Train the mental side of the last third: long solo runs, light pace changes when you’re tired and practising fuelling under fatigue.
4. How tech can help you get the most out of Valencia
If you’re considering running the Valencia Marathon in the future, smart use of technology can give you an extra edge. With tools like SnapRace you can:
- Design training routes that mimic Valencia’s long flat stretches.
- Follow turn-by-turn navigation on your long runs, so you can forget the map and focus on pacing and effort.
- Review each session in context – elevation, pace trends, fatigue points – and refine your race strategy accordingly.
If you want more detail on logistics, course layout and pre-race planning, you can pair this race report with our complete Valencia Marathon 2025 guide.
Valencia Marathon 2025: a perfect season finale
The Valencia Marathon 2025 delivered exactly what its build-up promised: a lightning-fast course, a world-class elite field, tens of thousands of amateur runners flooding the streets and a city fully committed to its biggest running festival. Korir, Jepkosgei, Yee, Chakir, Soler… the names on the results sheet will change next year, but the core idea remains: Valencia is one of the best stages on Earth to write your own 42.195 km story.
If you watched from the sidelines or from your sofa this time, maybe 2026 is the year you step onto the blue runway yourself. The City of Running has already made it clear it will be ready – now it’s your turn to decide whether Valencia becomes your next big marathon goal.