The streets of Spain are set to provide the stage for a compelling battle of sibling rivalry this weekend as identical twins Purity and Caroline Gitonga lock horns at the Valencia Half Marathon.
The 30-year-old sisters, who train together at the run2gether camp in Nakuru County, are among Kenya’s most experienced female road runners and will be seeking to turn their shared training ground into a springboard for individual glory when they line up against a strong international field.
Caroline heads to Valencia riding a wave of confidence after clinching her maiden global medal with Team Kenya at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, last month.
She delivered a spirited performance in the 5km race, stopping the clock at 14:48 to secure silver behind Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw, who stormed to gold in 14:41. Australia’s Rose Davies completed the podium in 14:50.
Having made her mark on the global stage in Copenhagen, Caroline is now shifting her focus to the longer half marathon distance, where she hopes to translate her impressive speed and growing consistency into another memorable performance.
After her silver-medal heroics in Denmark, Gitonga revealed that she was targeting a personal best in Valencia, with the ambition of shaving at least a minute off her lifetime best over 21km.
“I will be going back and preparing for the half marathon in Valencia next month.”
“My next goal is to get a new PB. My PB now for a half marathon is 1 hour and 6 minutes and I hope to improve it with one minute,” she added.
Caroline’s lifetime best stands at 1:06:16, a mark she set in March when she stormed to victory at the Prague Half Marathon.
Beyond Valencia, the Kenyan road specialist is keen to take stock of her progress before mapping out her ambitions for the 2027 season.
“After Valencia I will think about what my next goal should be.”
“Right now there is no pressure, other than I will go back and prepare for the half marathon in Valencia. And then I can think about next season,” she noted.
Caroline’s silver medal in Copenhagen capped what has already been a scintillating 2026 campaign, marked by a string of impressive performances across the 5km, 10km and half marathon distances.
She opened her season in emphatic fashion, winning the Castellon 10km on February 22 in 29:34, holding off compatriot Nelvin Kemboi, who clocked 29:45, and Ethiopia’s Chaltu Dida, who crossed the line in 29:50.
She carried that momentum into the Prague Half Marathon on March 28, where she shattered her personal best to win in 1:06:16, spearheading a Kenyan clean sweep of the podium. Jesca Chelangat finished second in 1:06:45, while Cynthia Chepkwony completed the all-Kenyan top three in 1:06:49.
Caroline continued to demonstrate her versatility and blistering turn of pace on the roads, blazing to another commanding victory at the Utrecht 5km on June 13 in 14:26.
A week later, she briefly traded the roads for the track and once again proved her mettle, finishing second in the 5,000m at Track Night Vienna on June 20 in 14:53.92.
On that occasion, however, it was her identical twin who got the better of her, with Purity surging to victory in 14:48.18.
Meanwhile, Purity is also heading into the Valencia assignment with an impressive body of work behind her, having rebounded strongly from a disappointing start to her 2026 campaign.
She opened her season with a fifth-place finish at the Castellon 10km road race on February 22, clocking 30:26.
Purity found her rhythm at the Hannover 10km on April 12, powering to victory in 30:33 before stepping up to the half marathon distance a week later and claiming the Istanbul Half Marathon title on April 19 in 1:06:05.
She maintained her blistering form over the shorter distances, winning the Wien 5km on May 31 in 14:41 before returning to the 10km circuit to triumph at the Abbeville 10km on June 7 in 30:04.
Purity then underlined her track credentials at the Track Night Vienna on June 20, clocking 14:48.18 to win the 5,000m and edge her sister Caroline, who settled for second in 14:53.92.
However, her subsequent outing on the roads have offered a different test, with Purity finishing sixth at the Prague 10km on September 5 in 31:04.
She however returned to winning ways at the Prievidza 10km in Slovenia on September 12, clocking 30:10.
