This year edition of Valencia half-marathon was a real success. It was a perfect organization, the best from all the races I ever ran. During the race a new world record was established by Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia with 57:30. The weather and environment were perfect for running.

There are countless positive aspects to highlight about this event. I recommend that every major marathon organizer send a representative to run in Valencia and take notes. For runners, the course is flat with ample space for warm-ups, and it never felt overcrowded. Organizers provided water in bottles, gels, and isotonic drinks along the route. If you’re aiming for a personal best, Valencia is the place to be, the true city of running.

I traveled from Bucharest to Valencia with my colleague Bobo, and we stayed in a hotel conveniently located near the start and finish lines. We warmed up before the race began and started together.

My race was going well until the 15-kilometer mark. I clocked 10 km in 55:40 and 15 km in 1:23:17, maintaining a pace of 5:33/km. For context, I passed 15 km in Cardiff in 1:25:56. Unfortunately, I experienced stomach issues that slowed me down significantly, forcing me to walk the last kilometer, which took me a frustrating 10 minutes. My official finish time was 2:07:47- not ideal, but I persevered, received my medal, and added another super half-marathon to my list.
Over 24,000 participants finished the race, and the support along the route was phenomenal. I had heard before the event that they were aiming to break the world record and bring it back to Valencia, and I could feel the positive energy during the race. Light rain helped keep us cool as we ran.
Bobo had an outstanding race, running a negative split and gradually increasing his pace. He achieved his personal best of 1:42:05. Congratulations to him on a fantastic performance!

Bobo’s achievement wasn’t a surprise; he dedicated a lot of time to training this year. I logged 1,200 km, while he ran a third more and incorporated various exercises. In running, results stem from hard work. There’s no substitute for proper training.

My T-shirt for this race was from “Trupa lui Fane”, a gift from Stefan just before leaving Bucharest. Runners from Trupa lui Fane have recently excelled, with four finishing under three hours at the Bucharest Marathon and winning multiple medals at the Balkan Championships. Bobo’s progress is another testament to the effectiveness of Stefan’s coaching. I also want to thank Stefan for training me remotely in the last years!

Valencia half-marathon is part of Superhalfs. You need to finish all six half-marathons to get the special medal. This was my 5th race with only Berlin left to finish the circuit. In Valencia the first Romanian to ever finish Superhalfs was Cosmin Gabinat. We congratulate him for this achievement! Here you can find a list with all Romanians participating in Superhalfs , 111 people registered at the end of 2024. Given the statistics, the next Romanians to finish Superhalfs circuit will be in Berlin.

Despite my challenges and results, I had an amazing time in Valencia and highly recommend this race to anyone looking to achieve great results!