Joyciline Jepkosgei with Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa at the London Marathon/ HANDOUTReigning Valencia Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei hopes to use the Cardiff Half Marathon on October 4 as a dress rehearsal for the Valencia title defence set for December 6.
Jepkosgei has been billed as the headline attraction for the 21km showdown in Cardiff, with race organisers placing the former London and New York City Marathon champion at the forefront of an elite women's field.
“Jepkosgei heads the female elite field for the Cardiff Half Marathon on October 4. Jepkosgei is a former winner of the London Marathon and the New York City Marathon,” race organisers said in a statement. The 32-year-old is making her maiden appearance in Cardiff carrying one of the strongest half marathon resumes.
Jepkosgei arrives as the two-time Barcelona Half Marathon champion, having stormed to victory in 2024 in 1:04:29 before returning in 2025 to lower the course record to 1:04:13.
That benchmark was, however, later eclipsed this year by compatriot Loice Chemnung, who sliced through the tape in 1:04:01. Her glittering record over the 21km distance also includes victories in Valencia (2017) in 1:04:51, Prague (2017) in 1:04:52 and Berlin (2021) in 1:05:16.
Jepkosgei was also runner-up at the 2023 Barcelona Half Marathon, where she finished second in 1:04:46, behind fellow Kenyan Irine Kimais, who won in 1:04:37. Earlier in her career, she claimed third place at the 2017 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, timing 1:06:08. However, the Kenyan has had a mixed start to her 2026 campaign.
She opened her season with a third-place finish at the London Marathon, clocking 2:15:55 behind Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, who produced a women's-only world record of 2:15:41, as Hellen Obiri finished second in 2:15:33. Jepkosgei then briefly swapped the roads for the track at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Track and Field Championships, where she doubled in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
She narrowly missed the podium in both events, placing fourth in 15:58.76 over 5,000m and 33:09.38 in the 10,000m. In Cardiff, the Kenyan distance ace will face stern opposition from Ethiopian pair Wede Kefale and Melat Kejeta.
Kefale heads into the race fresh from a third-place finish at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in 1:07:12, behind Girmawit Gebrzihair (1:06:12) and Kenya's Winnie Kimutai (1:07:03). Kejeta, meanwhile, brings proven championship pedigree as the 2020 World Half Marathon silver medallist from Gdynia, Poland.
