Valencia Marathon Preview and Where to Watch

The last high profile international marathon of the fall season the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich on Sunday (1 December) once again promises to provide a lip-smacking race full of intriguing possibilities.

The NN Running Team challenge is strong with Birhanu Legese looking to bounce back from the disappointment of a DNF in his previous outing in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October with a stronger showing in the Spanish port city.

Legese, a two-time former winner of the Tokyo Marathon and boasting a personal best of 2:02:48 – to sit seventh on the all-time marathon lists is an athlete of the highest credentials and will be seeking to end his 2024 campaign on a high.

Further fortifying the NN Running Team assault is Maru Teferi who set a brilliant personal best of 2:05:43 when third in the TCS Amsterdam Marathon just six weeks ago. The 32-year-old should never be dismissed and as evidenced by European and world marathon silver medals in 2022 and 2023, respectably, he is a highly accomplished performer.

Daniel Mateiko returns to Valencia just five weeks after finishing second in a red hot half marathon personal best of 58:17 in the city. Mateiko has experienced a rollercoaster year winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 58:45 before chalking up a DNF in the TCS London Marathon. He later claimed a prestigious 10,000m win in the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene before placing 11th over the 25-lap distance at he Paris Olympics.

He remains an unknown quantity over the 42.2km distance but possesses a half marathon PB to suggest he could be a very real threat.

The Dutch duo Björn Koreman (2:10:32) and Richard Douma (2:11:21) are also entered for the NN Running Team.

Kenyan Erick Sang who in his marathon debut in Amsterdam in October finished seventh in 2:07:50, will be a pacemaker for Mateiko. British NN Running Team athletes Jake Smith (2:11:00) is also entered as one of the rabbits.

The sole female NN Running Team athlete Tiruye Mesfin will also seek to challenge on a course which holds many happy memories. In the 2022 edition of the Valencia Marathon she claimed sixth in 2:18:47 – which still stands as a personal best for the Ethiopian. Mesfin placed second in Hamburg and fifth in Amsterdam last year. In her only marathon outing in 2024 she placed ninth in the Boston Marathon, clocking 2:24:58.

On the occasion of the Valencia Marathon, all NN Running Team athletes will be wearing a Coros PACE 3 Valencia Edition, styled in blue to match the race’s iconic finish carpet.

Race details

Outside of the Abbott World Marathon Majors the Valencia Marathon is one of the most prestigious marathons in the world. Starting in Pont de Montolivet and ending by the Museu de les ciencies Principe Felipe the race is one of the fastest in the world, boasting two of the fastest seven times in history for the men and two of the ten fastest times ever for women. Race day is expected to by sunny with temperatures between 12C-18C.

Where to watch

Broadcast details for the Valencia Marathon can be seen here.