Joyciline Jepkosgei during her triumph at the Valencia Marathon/ HANDOUT Joyciline Jepkosgei stamped her authority as one of the most dominant forces in women’s distance running on Sunday, storming to a world-leading time, course record, and personal best at the Valencia Marathon.
Jepkosgei tore through the streets of Spain’s running capital to stop the clock in 2:14:00, beating reigning world champion Peres Jepchirchir, who battled for second in 2:14:43. Belgium’s Chloe Herbiet rounded off the podium in 2:20:38.
Her sparkling run now stands as the fastest women’s marathon time of the year, slicing off precious seconds from the previous world lead of 2:14:57 set by Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa in Chicago. She also obliterated the course record of 2:14:58 set by Amane Beriso in 2022. The mark didn’t just shake up the world lists; it shattered her own personal best of 2:16:24 set in London last year, marking a monumental leap for the indefatigable Kenyan.
Jepkosgei credited the electrifying Valencia atmosphere for powering her home. “I am so excited and happy to win the race with a personal best. The people here were cheering me on, and that motivated me so much,” she said in a post-race interview.
Ending her season with the fastest time on the planet made the moment even sweeter. “It’s really nice to close the season with the fastest time of the year,” she added. Her Valencia heroics capped a superb 2025 campaign for the 31-year-old.
]She opened her season with a gritty fourth-place finish at the National Cross Country Championships on February 8, clocking 35:02. She, however, roared back at the Barcelona Half Marathon eight days later, sealing victory in 1:04:13.
She then made her first marathon appearance of the year in London on April 27, finishing a strong runner-up in 2:18:44 behind Ethiopian powerhouse Tigst Assefa. Jepkosgei briefly traded tarmac for the tarmac at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Championships, topping the 5,000m in 15:23.6 and finishing second in the 10,000m in 33:35.00.
On September 14, she competed in the Copenhagen Half-Marathon, placing fourth in 1:06:22. Before Valencia, her most recent race was the tRUNsylvania 10k, missing the podium after a fifth-place finish, clocking 30:41.
In the men’s showdown, John Korir delivered a commanding statement run, storming to victory in 2:02:25 ahead of Germany’s Amanal Petros (2:04:03) and Norway’s Awet Kibrab (2:04:25). It was a powerful comeback for the Kenyan star after a disappointing DNF in Chicago. This result had sparked murmurs of doubt. “I feel good to have won. People were saying Korir is going down, but I came here to prove them wrong,” Korir said.
Just like Jepkosgei, he closed his season on a personal-best high, trimming down the 2:02:44 he set in Chicago last year. “I have closed my year with a PB, and this is a big achievement.”
Korir showered praise on Valencia for the warm welcome and iconic stage it continues to offer the world’s finest marathoners. “I thank the people of Valencia and the organisers for inviting me. I enjoyed myself, and people were really cheering for me.”
