Valencia Marathon 2026: the last call for the one-million-euro prize
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What the one-million-euro prize is
After the 2023 edition, Juan Roig - president of the Fundación Trinidad Alfonso and the race's main backer - announced an extraordinary prize: one million euros for anyone who broke the marathon world record on the streets of Valencia, man or woman. According to Marca's account, the sum would be put up half by Roig and half by then race director Paco Borao.3
The prize has never been awarded since. On 25 October 2026, after the Valencia half marathon, Roig gave it a deadline: "This is the last year to take the million euros. Next year it ends - I will remove the million-euro sponsorship."1 The marathon on 6 December 2026 is therefore the final chance.2
One important caveat: the detailed conditions of the prize are not published in any accessible rulebook. The one reported by sources is "break the world record in Valencia"; we do not know whether ratification by World Athletics is required or how the women's record is treated (absolute or "women only"). We flag this because the prize should not be read as automatic at a given clock time: it is a sponsor's announcement, as reported by the press.12
The numbers to beat
| Reference | Time | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Men's world record | 1:59:30 | Sabastian Sawe, London 26 April 2026; ratified 23 July 20264 |
| Women's world record (absolute) | 2:09:56 | Ruth Chepngetich, Chicago 20242 |
| Women-only world record | 2:15:41 | Tigst Assefa, London 26 April 2026; ratified 23 July 20264 |
| Course record, men | 2:01:48 | Sisay Lemma, Valencia 20238 |
| Course record, women | 2:14:00 | Joyciline Jepkosgei, Valencia 20258 |
Running under 1:59:30 means covering 42.195 km at about 2:50 per kilometre: that is halfway in roughly 59:45 and holding it to the line. In London Sawe managed it by dropping Kejelcha in the final mile; the Ethiopian finished in 1:59:41, the second man ever under two hours in a record-eligible race, with Jacob Kiplimo third in 2:00:28.45
Who can attempt it
According to the first elite list published by the organisers on 2 July 2026, seven men with personal bests under 2:04:30 will start.7 The leading names, with PBs as reported by the race website:
| Men | PB | Women | PB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) | 1:59:41 | Fotyen Tesfay (ETH) | 2:10:52 |
| John Korir (KEN) | 2:02:24 | Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) | 2:14:00 |
| Alexander Mutiso (KEN) | 2:03:11 | Emily Sisson (USA) | 2:18:29 |
| Dawit Wolde (ETH) | 2:03:48 | Lilian Kasait (KEN) | 2:19:35 |
| Nibret Melak (ETH) | 2:04:00 | Aberu Ayana (ETH) | 2:20:20 |
| Leul Gebreselassie (ETH) | 2:04:02 | Alisa Vainio (FIN) | 2:20:39 |
| Awet Kibrab (NOR) | 2:04:24 | Winnie Jepkosgei (KEN) | debut |
Kejelcha is the only entrant who has already run under two hours: to break the record he must improve his 1:59:41 by at least 12 seconds, about 0.3 seconds per kilometre. His form is measurable: on 23 August in Buenos Aires he regained the half-marathon world record with 56:51, 29 seconds under Kiplimo's 57:20; World Athletics ratified the record on 9 November 2026.69 Among the women, Tesfay is 56 seconds off Chepngetich's absolute record; Jepkosgei, the 2025 winner here, holds the course record.78
Roig is backing Kejelcha: "That he chose Valencia to break the record shows great knowledge, because Valencia has the ideal circuit to do it."1
Why Valencia
The course is completely flat and at sea level, on wide avenues; in December the temperature is usually between 12 and 17 °C. With Lemma's 2:01:48 it is the fourth-fastest marathon in the world according to the race website, and it holds the Platinum Label, World Athletics' highest.8 That the circuit is genuinely fast is shown by the course records: the men's is the sixth-fastest performance ever, the women's the fourth.8
Limits
- The exact conditions of the prize (required ratification, which women's record category, payment terms) are not published: the only known condition is the one reported by the Spanish press.12
- The elite list used is the one announced on 2 July 2026: the organisers planned to complete it in the autumn, so further names may have been added that we have not verified.7
- The PBs in the table are those reported by the race website; for Tesfay the World Athletics report gives 2:10:51 on her debut (Barcelona, March 2026), the race website 2:10:52.67
- Kejelcha's 56:51, pending ratification when this article was first published, was ratified by World Athletics on 9 November 2026.9
Sources
- Marca, "Juan Roig pone fin a la carrera por el millón de euros", 25 October 2026. marca.com. Read on 1 November 2026.
- Mundo Deportivo, "Juan Roig amenaza con retirar el millón de euros por el récord mundial del Maratón de Valencia", 26 October 2026. mundodeportivo.com. Read on 1 November 2026.
- Marca, "Un millón de euros por batir el récord del mundo de Maratón en Valencia", 3 December 2023. marca.com. Read on 1 November 2026.
- World Athletics, "Ratified: world records for Sawe, Ehammer, Charlton and more", 23 July 2026. worldathletics.org. Read on 1 November 2026.
- World Athletics, official TCS London Marathon 2026 results. worldathletics.org. Read on 1 November 2026.
- World Athletics, "Kejelcha regains world half marathon record with 56:51 in Buenos Aires", 23 August 2026. worldathletics.org. Read on 1 November 2026.
- Valencia Marathon, "Kejelcha and Tesfay lead elite lineup with big ambitions for Valencia Marathon 2026", 2 July 2026. valenciaciudaddelrunning.com. Read on 1 November 2026.
- Valencia Marathon, race presentation page (date, Platinum Label, course, records). valenciaciudaddelrunning.com. Read on 1 November 2026.
- World Athletics, "Ratified: world records for Dos Santos, Kejelcha, Kerr and Russell", 9 November 2026. worldathletics.org. Read on 10 November 2026.