Valencia, Spain, once again proved to be a stage for record-breaking performances as the 10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun hosted a flurry of new European and national bests on Sunday. In the 17th edition of the race, known as one of the world’s fastest 10K courses [[1]], athletes from Sweden and Scotland rose to the occasion, rewriting the record books in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The event,which drew 16,000 participants,underscores Valencia’s growing prominence as a key destination for elite road running [[3]].
Andreas Almgren of Sweden and Eilish McColgan of Scotland shattered European records at the ‘10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun’ on Sunday, showcasing impressive performances in the highly competitive road race. Almgren finished with an official time of 26:45, while McColgan clocked in at 30:08.
Almgren, who also won the race, surpassed his own continental best of 26:52, set at the same Valencia event last year. His latest time marks a significant milestone, making him the first European athlete to complete the 10K distance in under 27 minutes.
McColgan’s victory eclipsed the previous European record of 30:10, established by Belgium’s Jana Van Lent in Nice, France on January 4th. The Scottish runner finished just two seconds faster, according to event organizers.
In a surprising turn of events, Said Mechaal established a new Spanish record, crossing the finish line in 27:21 – nearly 20 seconds faster than the previous best. This performance wasn’t anticipated by race officials, adding to the excitement of the day.
Mechaal’s Record a ‘Surprise’
Mechaal, whose brother is also a competitive runner, Adel Mechaal, improved upon Ilias Filfa’s time of 27:41 from last year’s event. The result is a personal best and a new benchmark for Spanish 10K running.
However, Marta García of Palencia fell short of breaking the Spanish record, finishing in 31:17, just shy of Carla Gallardo’s 31:11 set in Laredo earlier this year.
The women’s race was won by Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir, who completed the distance in 29:25. While a strong performance, it remained outside of the world record of 28:46 set by Agnes Jebet on the same Valencia course in 2024.
The 18th edition of the race saw a full field of 16,000 participants, with organizers implementing staggered start times to ensure a smooth flow. A preceding 5K race also drew a capacity field of 2,000 runners.
