Valencia Half: Kwizera faces Ethiopian challenge

Rodrigue Kwizera has the best personal best in the men's field for the Valencia half marathon, scheduled for Sunday 25 October. But his 58 min 16 s gives him no head start at the gun: Ethiopians Jemal Yimer and Tadese Worku are among his expected rivals, along with several Kenyans capable of shaping the race. In the women's field, Ethiopia also has several contenders for the top places.

Kwizera, a journey from Burundi to Spain

Born in Burundi and based in Spain since 2019, Kwizera took Spanish nationality this year. He appears under the code ESP on the entry list. That detail matters when reading the field: his Burundian roots shed light on his career, but do not change the country listed for this race.

In Valencia, his personal best puts him ahead of Jemal Yimer, listed with a mark of 58 min 33 s. Tadese Worku is also among the Ethiopian entries. These are points of comparison before the start, not a definitive pecking order among runners who will have to measure themselves against each other on the same day, over the same course.

Kenya will be represented by Daniel Ebenyo and Alex Matata, among others. The list credits the latter with a personal best of 59 min 11 s. Thierry Ndikumwenayo is also among the entries under the Spanish code, with a mark of 59 min 42 s. The interest of the race will lie in seeing who remains in a position to fight for victory once the gaps begin to open up.

Ethiopian women take on Kenyan opposition

The women's list features Tsigie Gebreselama with a mark of 1:04:21, along with her compatriot Ftaw Zeray, credited with 1:05:12. Kenya's Daisilah Jerono, for her part, has a personal best of 1:05:21. These closely bunched times give several names to follow beyond the men's race alone.

There are two ways to read Sunday's result: the finishing position, which separates the day's competitors, and the time run against their own previous bests. A personal best does not necessarily mean a win; conversely, winning a race does not require breaking a record.

Sunday: a start at the same time as in Brazzaville

The first start is scheduled for 8:25 in Valencia on Sunday 25 October, on Avenue de Tarongers. This Sunday the clocks go back in Spain for winter time, so it will also be 8:25 in Brazzaville. The other groups will start at staggered times.

The race covers the 21.0975 kilometres of the half marathon. Two days before the event, the entry lists show the expected strengths; they do not confirm that every athlete will be on the start line on Sunday morning.