9 They are the reason behind a saying that is commonly heard among the fun runners. “In Valencia, you don’t run alone; the city spurs you on”, agreed Migue, an Andalusian who regularly participates in the Valencia Half Marathon, but who looked as pleased as if it were his first time. He explained that, despite having participated in some of the best races in the country, Valencia never ceases to amaze him with the way it embraces him. While the wind and rain may have washed out some of the performances that could have seen records being broken, it did not dampen the cheers from the most devoted crowd on Earth. Which is truly one of the main attractions for those arriving in Valencia from overseas: the festive nature of a city that throws its arms wide open to welcome the race. “That’s why it’s totally unique”, said Kazakh-runner Ayusha in her postrace interview, who had travelled to the city all by herself. And, in the absence of the famous “ideal climate” that many foreigners seek when they include Valencia on their itinerary, it was the city itself that warmed the hearts of the runners. A record number of finishers, more international runners than ever before and a city devoted to the event despite the rain: the Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich continues to dazzle the world. The city that spurred its runners on More historic than yesterday, less than tomorrow It took a while for the first rays of sunshine to appear on a new morning for the half marathon in Valencia. The rain threatened to drench the fastest 21 kilometres on the planet. Long sleeves, hoods, even gloves for the most prudent. Early on, very early on, the runners began to take their places along the straight stretch of Avenida de Tarongers, keeping an eye out for the drizzle that began to fall just after the starting gun was fired, following the organisers’ tribute to the victims of the flooding a year earlier. Despite the weather, Valencia Ciudad del Running had once again worked its magic: more than 26,000 souls were pounding the asphalt, and just as many locals had gathered at various points along the route to cheer on the stream of runners winding their way through the streets. Nothing stops Valencia. Because excitement is guaranteed at the best half marathon in Spain and, probably, on the planet. The rain only made it more epic, more memorable. Even before race day, the statistics were impressive: around 11,000 runners from 138 different parts of the world –15% more than in 2024– made this year’s event the most international ever, and the buzz of activity from the runners at Expo 21K Feria Valencia in the run-up to the race had already given a hint of this: the world was looking for a historic Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich. And they got one. The race added another twist to the challenges ahead. It was historic, yes, but this time not because of record-breaking achievements, but because of the people. In the best-attended race in memory, Valencia demonstrated that a great half marathon is not just about sporting records. The most eyecatching record was not set by one elite athlete; it was set by all 26,077 runners who crossed the finish line. This time, the leading role did not go to Yomif Kejelcha, Agnes Ngetich or Carlos Mayo. Not even to Andreas Almgren, the Swede who set a new record by achieving the best European time ever. This time, the protagonists were Sandra, Dennis, James and Sophie, anonymous runners who will not be written about on the front pages of the newspapers, but runners who wrote the story of their own adventure. It was they who made their dreams come true and who made the Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich a little more historic.
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