Kiplimo and Aregawi promise a stellar duel in Vallecana, with Mechaal as the guest

Jacob Kiplimo returns after six years in San Silvestre Vallecana, a race where he set a record in 2018 (26:41) that remainsto measure himself against the Ethiopian Berihu Aregawiwho hopes to defend his crown after winning last year with the permission of Adel Mechaalwho, after setting the best Spanish mark in history in the 10k (26:46) more than a month ago, does not give up on surprising.

Ugandan, Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 in 10,000 meters, returned to Nationale-ederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana, to claim his throne and he does it in great form, as he showed last November with the 15K road world record achieved in Nijmegen (Netherlands) with 40:42 and which he took from his compatriot and old acquaintance in the Madrid race: Joshua Cheptegei.

In search of victory in San Silvestre Vallecana he will duel with Berihu Aregawiwho won last year in Madrid in 27:16 and this year he climbed to second place on the podium at the Paris Olympic Games to collect silver in the 10,000 meters. In addition, he came with the second best 10k road race in history after Rhonex Kipruto thanks to the 26:33 he recorded in Laredo in 2023.

Some Spaniards, including Adel Mechaal, focused on this rivalry in surprisewho a month ago achieved the best Spanish mark (26:46) in 10k with 26:46 at the Zara Speed​​​​Run in Madrid; and Madrid-born Yago Rojo, Paris 2024 Olympian in the marathon and national silver in the 10K in 2023, and Jesús Ramos, double national champion in the 10K in 2022 and 2023.

That group also includes the European 800 meter indoor track champion in 2023, the Galician Adrián Ben, and Ibrahim Chakir, current national marathon champion and Olympic marathon champion in Paris 2024.

CHEPNGETICH, FAVORITE WITH WOMEN

In 2018, Kenyan Brigid Kosgei became the first athlete to break the 30-minute barrier in Vallecana with 29:54. Since then no one has come close to that mark that her compatriot Ruth Chepngetich wants to improve on.

In the last Chicago Marathon, on October 13, Chepngetich reduced the marathon world record by almost two minutes (2h09:56), which is quite an achievement. To complete a memorable year, he hopes to win in Madrid and forget the bitter taste left by his participation in San Silvestre Vallecana in 2020, when he was beaten by Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw.

In addition to that marathon world record, Chepngetich has a gold record with a marathon world title (2019) and a triplet of victories in the emblematic Chicago Marathon, as well as the best time in 10 kilometers on the road of 30:29, a time he wants to lower in Madrid.

With him, the Ethiopian Adawork Aberta, from the NN Running Team, will try to follow in the footsteps of other compatriots and team members who succeeded in Vallecana, like Yalemzerf Yehualaw himself. The 28-year-old athlete’s best results were seventh place in the Seville Marathon with 2h23:39 and a personal best in the 10K of 32:27.

At this level, the success of a Spanish athlete seems very complicated, but the enthusiasm for doing a good job does not reduce the large group of runners that will be at the start.

The first rivalry, a priori, was between Águeda Marqués from Segoviaholder of the fourth best national record in the 10k route with 31:58 and finalist in the 1,500 at the Paris Olympic Games; and Laura Luengo from Extremadurawhich, with 2h22:31, has the second best Spanish mark in the history of the marathon. In addition, he will try to take advantage of his good form to improve on eighth place in 2022 and 2023.

The valentine Martha Garciaafter breaking four national records this year between outdoors (2,000 and 5,000 meters) and indoor track (3,000 and 5,000 meters) and achieving a bronze at the European Outdoor Championships in 5,000 meters, He also wants to be the best Spaniard in Madrid.

Completing the Spanish roster are Laura Priego from Madrid, who has already led the national athletes in 2021 and 2023; the Sevillian hurdler Carolina Robles, who surprised in 2020 in fourth place; and Lidia Campo, current Spanish 10K road champion.

SIXTH ANNIVERSARY

San Silvestre Vallecana, founded in 1964 by Antonio Sabugueiro, celebrates its sixtieth anniversary with the unanimous recognition of the best Spanish athletes in history as “one of the best ten kilometer races in the world.”

The race, which usually starts on Avenida Concha Espina and ends on Candilejas Street, in the case of the famous one, and inside the Vallecas stadium, in the international one, is one of the four ten kilometer trials around the world with the World Athletics gold certificate.

Since its first edition, in 1964 with only 57 runners, its growth has been exponential since 2024 the famous event will bring together 40,000 bib numbered runners joining the 2,000 international.

The race records, in both male and female categories, are held by two African runners, Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo (26:41) and Kenyan Brigid Kosgei (29:54).