Valencia Marathon
Sunday, December 6, 2026 · Valencia, Spain
Updated May 2026
Offers the biggest single performance bonus in the sport: €1,000,000 for a world record. Exceptionally flat layout attracting phenomenally deep elite fields. Course record dropped consecutively in 2020, 2022, 2023.
The score breakdown
The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.
- €1M WR bonus drives Elite Field Index up despite smaller current purse than WMMs.
Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data; calibration against 5K split data and coach review is in progress.
Course profile
- Elevation gain
- —
- Elevation loss
- —
- Surface
- paved smooth
- Late-stage climbs (after mile 18)
- None.
- Profile notes
- Exceptionally flat across all splits; exact elevation gain/loss not published.
Race day
- Date
- Sunday, December 6, 2026
Weather (historical)
- Median temp
- 15°C
- Temp range
- 11°C to 22°C
- Humidity
- 71%
- Wind
- ~7 mph west
Prize money
- Total purse
- Up to ~$455K (heavily dependent on finish times; €417K original)
- Winner
- $82.5K
- Course record bonus
- $33K
- World record bonus
- $1.1M
- Time bonuses
- €75,000 winner's prize is conditional on sub-2:04:30 (M) / 2:20:00 (W). €25,000 bonus for Spanish national record.
- Notes
- World record bonus of €1,000,000 is the largest in marathon running.
Course records
Recent winners
Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 10 men, 10 women.
| Year | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | John Korir (KEN) | 2:02:24 | Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) | 2:14:00 |
| 2024 | Sabastian Sawe (KEN) | 2:02:05 | Alemu Megertu (ETH) | 2:16:49 |
| 2023 | Sisay Lemma (ETH) | 2:01:48 | Worknesh Degefa (ETH) | 2:15:51 |
| 2022 | Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) | 2:01:53 | Amane Beriso (ETH) | 2:14:58 |
| 2021 | Lawrence Cherono (KEN) | 2:05:11 | Nancy Jelagat (KEN) | 2:19:30 |
| 2020 | Evans Chebet (KEN) | 2:03:00 | Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) | 2:17:16 |
| 2019 | Kinde Atanaw (ETH) | 2:03:51 | Roza Dereje (ETH) | 2:18:30 |
| 2018 | Leul Gebresilase (ETH) | 2:04:31 | Ashete Bekere (ETH) | 2:21:14 |
| 2017 | Sammy Kitwara (KEN) | 2:05:15 | Aberu Zennebe (ETH) | 2:26:17 |
| 2016 | Victor Kipchirchir (KEN) | 2:07:36 | Valary Aiyabei (KEN) | 2:24:46 |
Training for Valencia Marathon?
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