World Half Marathon champion Agnes Ng’etich will seek to upset the formbook on her marathon debut in Valencia on December 6.
Race organisers have confirmed that the Kenyan road-running sensation is among the elite runners enlisted, raising expectations of a memorable performance from the record-breaking star.
“World 10km record holder, world cross country champion and world half marathon champion, among many other titles,” the organisers said while announcing her inclusion.
“She has already made history on our streets, winning the Valencia Half Marathon twice. Now, she dreams of doing it again over a new distance.”
Ng’etich is no stranger to the streets of Valencia, having made her half marathon debut in the Spanish city in 2024, where she announced herself in spectacular fashion.
She won the race in a national record of 1:03:04, then the second-fastest time over the distance.
She beat Ethiopian Fotyen Tesfay, who clocked 1:03:21, and compatriot Lilian Kasait, third in 1:03:32.
Ng’etich returned to the course last year and successfully defend her crown in 1:03:08 ahead of Tesfay (1:05:10) and compatriot Veronica Loleo (1:05:46).
At the 2024 Valencia 10km road race, she obliterated the women’s world record in 28:46.
The 25-year-old conquered the 2024 Valencia 5km in 14:13, underlining her versatility and devastating speed across multiple distances. Ng’etich heads to Spain buoyed by what has already been a stellar 2026 campaign.
Ng’etich launched her season in spectacular fashion at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10, where she clinched gold in the senior women’s 10km in 31:28.
She carried that momentum to the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour on February 14, winning in 32:28.
However, she suffered a minor setback on her half marathon debut at the New York Half Marathon on March 15, finishing 13th in 1:10:25.
Ng’etich returned to winning ways at the Lille 10K on April 4 in 28:58 and timed 30:07 to win the New York 10K on June 6.
On July 10, she swapped the roads for track at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, winning the 3,000m in an impressive 8:08.95.
Her winning exploits continued at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 20, where she captured the half marathon title in a championship record of 1:05:15.
Ng’etich’s most recent road outing came on October 18, when she won the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon in 1:04:23.
