Geleta, the Seville Marathon winner, improved his career best to 2:02:38 for second place, while Mateiko slowed dramatically over the final stages but still managed to finish the distance at the third time of asking in 2:04:24, holding off a late challenge from Tanzania’s 2017 world bronze medallist Alphonce Simbu.
Simbu achieved a perfectly balanced two halves (1:02:13/1:02:25) to finish fourth in a PB of 2:04:38, two seconds clear of the 42-year-old Swiss athlete Tadesse Abraham, who clocked a lifetime best and national record of 2:04:40 for fifth. In a race of an incredible depth, 10 men ducked under the 2:05 milestone while Bekele dropped out shortly after the 31st kilometre.
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Sawe, the world half marathon champion, has won seven out of his nine half marathon appearances, topped by a 58:02 time in Rome in 2022. His two defeats came in Valencia, so Sunday’s performance marks his first victory in the city.
The winner, whose two halves were timed at 1:01:18 and 1:00:47, said: “Honestly, I had built up very good for this debut and was quite confident of doing well. It’s an amazing day, I’m so happy to be here and win in Valencia, which is so beautiful.
“I was used to running the half marathon event, I was comfortable during the first half, then I was close to the helm of the race and I thought I could go faster and I just did it. I dedicate this win to the victims of the Valencia floods, I pray for them.”
Men
1 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:05
2 Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38
3 Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 2:04:24
4 Alphonce Simbu (TAN) 2:04:38
5 Tadesse Abraham (SUI) 2:04:40
6 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:04:44
7 Maru Teferi (ISR) 2:04:45
8 Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) 2:04:45
9 Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:04:56
10 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:59
