Kwizera and Luengo break Spanish half-marathon records in Valencia

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Rodrigue Kwizera won the Valencia Half Marathon in 58 minutes 3 seconds on Sunday as both Spanish national records fell. Laura Luengo set the women’s mark of 1:08:28, while Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race with the fastest time recorded this year.

Kwizera led home a Spanish one-two, finishing six seconds ahead of Thierry Ndikumwenayo. Kenya’s Victor Kipruto completed the men’s podium in 58:12, nine seconds behind the winner, after the leading runners continued to challenge one another into the closing stages.

The winning time cut 1 minute 36 seconds from Carlos Mayo’s Spanish record of 59:39, set on the same course in 2023. Kwizera also became the first Spanish winner since the event adopted the official half-marathon distance in 2006.

His performance was faster than Andreas Almgren’s European record of 58:06. However, EFE reported that it does not count as a continental record because Kwizera is still awaiting international transfer approval from World Athletics. He can compete as a Spanish athlete in domestic competition but is not yet recognised internationally on that basis.

Chepkirui’s 1:03:51 secured the women’s title by just one second over fellow Kenyan Diana Wanza. Daisilah Jerono was third in 1:04:11, completing an all-Kenyan podium in a race that produced a world-leading winning time.

Luengo finished 20th overall in the women’s race and bettered the previous Spanish record of 1:08:30, which Carla Gallardo had run in Berlin. Meritxell Soler and Irene Sánchez-Escribano completed the Spanish women’s podium, both recording 1:08:47, on a morning that reshaped the national rankings.