The 2023 World Half Marathon champion Sebastian Sawe will test his mettle in his full marathon debut against the Ethiopian duo of Kenenisa Bekele and Sisay Lemma in Valencia on December 1.
Marc Roig, Elite coordinator for the Valencia Marathon said with the big names in the start list, it will be hard to predict the outcome next month.
“Once again this year, the combination of established names with ambitious newcomers presents a great spectacle. Having the record holders of the circuit, both male and female, generates even more fascination.”
“Will they lower their record even further? Or will it be the outsiders who claim success? As always, it is impossible to predict what will happen in Valencia,” Roig said.
Lemma claimed the title last year in a new course record time of 2:01:48, leading Alexander Munyao ( 2:03:11 ) and Dawit Wolde ( 2:03:48 ).
The course record in the women’s event is held by Amane Beriso, who clocked 2:14:58 in 2022 ahead of Letesenbet Gidey ( 2:16:49 ) and Sheila Chepkirui ( 2:17:29 ).
Sawe enters the fray on the back of a stellar year, which kicked off with an emphatic win at the Kenya Cross Country Championships in March clocking 28:39.
He followed it up with another victory from the Prague Half Marathon, where he clocked 58:24 leading a Kenyan top-five finish.
Sawe placed second at the Adizero Road to Records 10km road race in April clocking 27:06 behind compatriot Nicholas Kipkorir ( 27:05 ).
He went on to record victories in the 10km road race from Boston ( 27:42 ) and Atlanta ( 2 8:03 ) in June and July.
His latest conquest was a triumph at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September, where he clocked 58:05 with world 15km record holder Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda ( 58:09) and Isaia Lasoi ( 58:10 ) completing the podium.
Standing in his way to victory is Bekele, a titan of long-distance running.
Bekele holds an extensive resume that includes three Olympic gold medals from the 2004 Athens ( 10,000m) and 2008 Beijing ( 5000m and 10,000m).
He is a four time world 10,000m champion as well as the 2009 5000m world champion.
In the 42km race, Bekele holds two victories in Berlin— 2016 ( 2:03:03 ) and 2019 ( 2:01:41 ).
Bekele finished second at the London Marathon in April, clocking 2:04:15 behind Munyao ( 2:04:01 ).
Lemma, another formidable foe,
is fresh from victory in Boston,
where he won the race in 2:06:17
leading compatriot Mohamed Esa (
2:06:58 ) and Evans Chebet ( 2:07:22
) on the podium.
