Top things to know about the 2021 Valencia Marathon on Sunday

After missing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021 due to injury, the 2019 New York Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor returns to athletics competition hoping for a win and his personal best at the Valencia Marathon on Sunday, December 5.

Kamworor, who trains in the renowned Kaptagat camp alongside his friend and mentor Eliud Kipchoge, will be running his first race since missing out on representing Kenya at the Olympics.

The three-time world half marathon winner, who suffered a fractured leg when he was hit by a motorcycle while training near his home in June 2020, hopes to test his current form by running his fastest time ever over the 42km distance.

“I have been training well and I hope to beat my personal best record, which is 9 years old. Valencia is a very fast city for running, one of the fastest circuits in the world and I hope to achieve my goals,” said in a conversation with the race organisers.

His compatriot Lawrence Cherono, fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, is another one to watch out for in the men's event, while the women's field could be dominated by a couple of Ethiopian runners.

Here is a quick guide to Sunday's race.

The elite favourites for Valencia

With a 2:03:04 personal best, Cherono is the fastest man in the elite field and he will be keen to make the podium after just missing bronze in the home stretch in the Sapporo Olympic marathon in August.

“Last year I ran here and came second, setting my personal best,” said Cherono, the 2019 Boston and Chicago marathon champion.

“I ran the Olympic Games, but I was already planning to come back here to Valencia to improve my personal best time ever further."

But the focus will undoubtedly be on the two-time New York marathon champion Kamworor, who is aiming to better his long-standing best of 2:06:12 from his debut at the Berlin marathon in 2012.

“My PB might be nearly 10 years old, but that’s mainly because I’ve not done many fast marathons since then. I often ran the New York City Marathon, which isn’t a fast course.

"I have no doubt that, on a fast course, I can go a lot faster than my current PB,” said Kamworor, who is coached by one of the top marathon coaches, Patrick Sang, who also works with double Olympic champion Kipchoge.

Kamworor, a former world record holder over the half marathon, has only run twice this year. A second-place finish at the Istanbul half marathon in April, and when he won the Kenyan 10,000m Trials in July.

Now fully recovered from the motor accident and boosted by over a year of intense training, the 29-year-old could well run the fastest time ever in Valencia.

Kenya’s Evans Chebet set a course record in a scaled down race last year.

“Valencia will be ready to help us push our limits on race day and I am sure it will be amazing," said the double world cross country senior champion.

The women’s field has Guteni Shone, the 2020 Dubai marathon runner-up, who is the fastest of the top runners with 2:20:11.

There is also fellow Ethiopian Azmera Gebru and Kenya’s Bornes Chepkirui, the 2018 Prague marathon champion.

The course

The Valencia course is a fairly flat one and remains unchanged from previous years.

It's one of the fastest courses in the world. Up to 60 athletes achieved their qualification times for the Tokyo Olympics during last year’s race.

This year, the organisers have signed up only 16,000 runners down from the 30,000 expected last year, for safety reasons.

They have also changed the finishing area by introducing a 300m long finishing straight that will run over the lakes in Valencia's iconic City of Arts and Sciences.

The new finish should also offer the runners a safer-post race area.

The schedule - Valencia marathon 2021 (times in CET)

08:15am - Elite men and women runners start

08:30am - Wheelchair athletes and blind athletes

How to watch the 2021 Valencia marathon

The 41st edition of the Valencia marathon will be screened in 207 countries.

Here is how to follow the action.