Kenya has further cemented its dominance on the world marathon stage following victories by Joyciline Jepkosgei and John Korir at the Valencia Marathon 2025.
The two athletes claimed wins in their respective categories of the lucrative global event held on Sunday, December 7, with Jepkosgei breaking the women’s course record and Korir posting a personal best in the men’s race.
In the women’s race, Jepkosgei finished in 2:14:00, surpassing the previous course record and setting a new benchmark for future editions.
She outpaced fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir, who clocked 2:14:43, and Belgium’s Chloé Herbiet, who came third in 2:20:38. Completing the top five were Finland’s Alisa Vainio (2:20:48) and Australia’s Jessica Stenson (2:21:24), both setting new national records.
By finishing under 2 hours 20 minutes, Jepkosgei earned the first-place prize of €75,000, along with a €30,000 bonus for setting a new course record, bringing her total prize money to €105,000 (approximately Ksh15.818 million).
“I’m so excited, it’s so amazing to win this race with a personal best time, I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful. What it means for me to close the season [with a world lead], I’m so happy. Everybody was cheering, I was feeling strong.”
Jepkosgei, a member of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), earned recognition for her consistent performances, including her promotion to Sergeant in 2022 following a silver medal at the London Marathon.
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Jepkosgei and Korir claim victories in Valencia Marathon
Her win in the 2025 Valencia Marathon comes months after she finished second in the London 2025 Marathon.
In the men’s race, John Korir led a fast field to victory, finishing in 2:02:25, a new personal best by 19 seconds. Germany’s Amanal Petros took second in 2:04:03, breaking the German national record by 53 seconds, while Norway’s Awet Kibrab finished third in 2:04:24, slicing 1:24 off the Norwegian record.
Japanese runner Suguru Osako placed fourth in 2:04:55, setting a new national best, and another Kenyan, Justus Kangogo, claimed fifth place in 2:06:11. Korir’s performance under the 2:04:30 threshold secured him the first-place prize of €75,000 (approximately Ksh11.299 million).
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The Boston Marathon winner and last year’s Chicago Marathon champion, Korir, had sought redemption after a disappointing Chicago outing in October. He broke away from the lead group just after 25 km, running a negative split to finish strongly.
“People are saying the Korir name is going down, but I have come here and proved to them that Korir is still there,” he said. “I’ve closed my year with a PB. I enjoy myself here in Valencia.”
Beyond the €75,000 first-place prize for the Valencia Marathon winners, athletes can earn bonuses for course records, Spanish national records, and world records. The total prize money for the event can reach €417,000, with world-record bonuses of up to €1 million for eligible athletes.
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