Kejelcha, Barega and Mateiko headline men’s elite field at Valencia Half Marathon
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, the 2019 World Athletics Championships silver medal winner in the 10,000m, his compatriot, Selemon Barega, the 2020 Olympics 10,000m champion as well as Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko headline a stellar cast of men’s elite athletes that will battle for the Valencia Half Marathon title this weekend.
While the duo of Kejelcha and Barega will be making their debut in the half marathon in 2024, Mateiko will be keen to join the list of athletes who have broken 58 minutes in the event.
Kejelcha and Barega may be brandishing their record as tow of just seven men on earth who have ran inside 58 minutes in the event but the fastest in the event this year among the athletes running in Valencia on Sunday is the Kenyan who ran 58:45 to win the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
That time is the fourth fastest this year in the event and Mateiko will have his sight firmly set on not just winning but also breaking 58 minutes in the event.
He holds a lifetime best of 58:26 which he ran to place third in Valencia in 2021.
Nine other athletes who broken one hour in the event and have been confirmed for the race on Sunday are Tadese Worku (58:47), Isaia Kipkoech (58:55), Edward Cheserek (59:11), Bravin Kiprop (59:21), Weldon Langat (59:22), Gemechu Dida (59:31), Samuel Barata (59:40), Pietro Riva (59:41) and Sondre Moen (59:48).
Six of the seven sub-58 minutes performances have come at the Valencia Half Marathon and the whole world will be waiting to see if Mateiko can become the eighth man in history to dip under 58 minutes and the seventh man to do in Valencia.
