Yomif Kejelcha, the Ethiopian who ran the fastest marathon debut in history last month, is heading to the Valencia Marathon. His agent, Italian manager Gianni Demadonna, confirmed the plan in remarks published Tuesday by Quotidiano Sportivo, which were also reported by the Spanish running site Soy Corredor.
“I think Sawe will be in Berlin, while Kejelcha will be in Valencia,” Demadonna said, also mapping out the autumn season for Sabastian Sawe, the Kenyan who beat Kejelcha by 11 seconds at the London Marathon on April 26.
A return to a familiar city
The Valencia Marathon, scheduled for December 6, is held on one of the flattest courses in world marathoning. The route sits at sea level with less than 30 metres of total elevation change. The men’s course record, 2:01:48, was set by Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma in December 2023.
Kejelcha knows the city well. In October 2024, he broke the half marathon world record at the Valencia Half Marathon, running 57:30 to clip a single second off the previous mark held by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo. The record has since been taken back by Kiplimo, who ran 56:42 in 2025, but Valencia remains the site of one of Kejelcha’s biggest road performances to date.
What he did in London
Kejelcha’s marathon debut went better than almost anyone expected. The 28-year-old crossed the finish line in 1:59:41, becoming only the second man to run under two hours in an official race. Sawe won in 1:59:30, a world record. The two performances marked the first time two athletes had ever broken the two-hour barrier in the same race under World Athletics conditions.
Kejelcha’s time also stands as the fastest marathon debut ever run, and the fastest non-winning time in marathon history. Demadonna told Quotidiano Sportivo the performance exceeded the team’s internal expectations.
