A line-up of great athletes will be among the 250 participants, while the half marathon will feature 50 runners and the best debutantes at the distance

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP is organising an Elite Edition marathon and half marathon to be held on 6 December 2020 and it can now confirm the names of the first male and female athletes who will seek to achieve the most ambitious sporting goal possible by trying to set new race records.
In the case of the marathon, the goal will be to beat the current times set in Valencia and get as close as possible to the current men’s and women’s world records. The Ethiopians Birhanu Legese (2h02:48, third best time in marathon history) and Kinde Atanaw (2h:03:51), winner last year and current record holder for the Valencian course, are two of the athletes who will try to achieve this feat. In addition, the winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons, Lawrence Cherono (2h04:06), the European record holder Kaan Kigen Özbilen (2h04:16) and the World Champion Lelisa Desisa (2h04:45), will be among the Platinum and Gold athletes who will meet in Valencia Ciudad del Running on 6 December. The athletes will also include several world champions at the distance and winners of different majors in recent years, as well as other debutantes at 42,195 m with a great desire to achieve a good time, such as Jemal Yimer.
In terms of women athletes, after a 2019 in which four athletes finished in under 2h19 at the last marathon in Valencia, the list of female starters will include the Ethiopians Azmera Abreha (2h18:33), Ruti Aga (2h18:34), Birhane Dibaba (2h18:35), Zeineba Yimer (2h19:28), Tigist Girma (2h19:52) and Mare Dibaba (2h19:52), all with times under 2 hours 20 minutes. The American Jordan Hasay (2h20:57) and the debutante Fancy Chemutai are other big names, in addition to Joyciline Jepkosgei (2h22:38), who won in New York in her premiere at 42.195 kilometres, and she already knows what it is to win in Valencia, where she achieved the world record in a half marathon in 2017. Joan Chelimo (1h05:04 – Half Marathon) and Peres Jepchichir (current half marathon – only women – world record) will also be in the front line.
Assault on the half marathon with two top level debutantes
And the strong field in the Valencia Half Marathon Elite Edition, which will also be held on 6 December but without overlapping on the course with the marathon, will include a team of athletes who will seek, in the fast streets of Valencia Ciudad del Running, to approach the world record for both men (58:01) and women (1h04:21).
The Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto, who achieved the world record at 10K (26:24) in the Ibercaja Valencia 10K, is the big favourite to fight for a world-beating time at 21,097.5 metres, along with another runner who has not yet premiered in the half marathon, the Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo (26:41 at 10K). And up to ten more runners with times below 60 minutes augur well for a very fast race. Stephen Kiprop (58:42), Bedan Karoki (58:42), Bernard Ngeno (59:07), Alexander Mutiso (59:09), Julien Wanders (59:13 and European record), Philemon Kiplimo (59:28), Geoffrey Koech (59:36), Gabriel Geay (59:42), Alfred Barkach (59:46) and Kelvin Kiptum (59:53) will be running to beat their best times.
And in the women’s race, distance debutante Ethiopian Letensenbet Gidey, with the world’s best time over 15K (44:20) along with Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, winner of the 10K in Valencia and Prague, will fight for the best women’s time in history alongside the experience of 2019 winner Senbere Teferi (1h05:32).
For Marc Roig, International Elite Coach for the Valencia Marathon and Half Marathon “we have worked hard in recent months to put together two lists that include the highest-level elite athletes, to break our own records and get as close as possible to the world records for the two distances. Along with these names, there are others to be confirmed that will, without a doubt, make Valencia the biggest race of 2020”.

The two months hustling of Ethiopian national team coach appointment came to rest on Monday with former Adama player turned Coach Wubetu Abate taking the helm penning a two year contract. The new appointee took just two days before announcing his deputies including women’s club coach Asrat Abate among his three members coaching staff. “Though the appointment came earlier than expected and took me by surprise, it is my life time dream coming true” Wubetu told reporters.
It took more than two months for Ethiopian Football Federation finally to decide a new national boss replacing Abraham Mebratu whose contract expired at the end of June. Despite huge pressure from national technical director Sewnet Bishaw, Ethiopian Football Coaches’ Association chairman Solomon Abate and number of media outlets, EFF President Ato Issayas Jirra appeared in public to proudly announce that Wubetu is the very ideal person to take over the hot seat.
“In addition to Abraham’s contract expiry we had had given notification that he has not done enough to build a humble national side. Therefore we just picked the right person for the job” Issayas disclosed at the press conference held to introduce Wubetu as the new national coach.
Wubetu took no time to name his deputies with former Ethio Electric Coach Anwar yasin and formerly with Dedebit and Lucy Coach before taking over at Bishoftu and Butagera Coach Asrat Abate as his second in commands. Former national side and Kidus Giorgis popular goal keeper Desalegn G/Giorgis shouldered the duty of producing an ideal goalkeeper for the national side that is under a serious time constraint to prepare.
Back from seven months rest due to Covid19 pandemic, Ethiopian national side faces Niger in away and home double encounter for African nations’ qualification third and fourth round fixtures.

“CAF should have rescheduled it to benefit everyone,” said Ghanaian defender Linda Eshun. “They rescheduled the men’s game. I know we can’t compare the money that’s involved in the men’s [to that in the] women’s game. But I am not saying CAF are biased towards the men’s game.”
Nigeria’s goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi wasn’t as diplomatic. “CAF doesn’t take women’s football seriously. Why cancel the African Women’s Championship? 2022 is too far. Teams won’t be tested. We don’t play friendlies, we won’t keep fit. They should have postponed it to next year. It doesn’t sound good that there won’t be competitions until then,” said Oluehi.
CAF secretary general Abdelmounaïm Bah downplayed the impact of the tournament’s cancellation. “I’m not sure that cancelling this edition of the Women’s Afcon will have a bad impact on the performance of our teams,” he said in a virtual press conference with the South African Football Journalists’ Association.
“What we are trying to put in play is a clear strategy to develop women’s football in Africa. We care about women’s football. We want to see better results at the international level. We want to develop women’s football. We want professional leagues, this is why we have this strategy. We want to give more opportunities for girls and women to play.”
The Women’s Champions League will be contested by eight teams in two groups of four. Each of the six CAF zones – north zone, zone west A, zone west B, central zone, central-east zone and southern zone – will host qualifiers to decide who will represent the region. The six winners, along with a team from the host nation, and an additional club, will make up the eight representatives. The tournament will be held annually in the second half of the year, giving players more exposure and tougher competition.