Almgren and McColgan set European 10K records in Valencia, 19 national records fall
Andreas Almgren ran 26:45 and Eilish McColgan 30:08 at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, where a record 14,134 runners finished and 233 broke 30 minutes.
Photograph: Andreas Almgren at the 2023 Finland-Sweden international, by Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSweden's Andreas Almgren won the 10K Valencia Ibercaja on Sunday in 26:45, a European record. Ethiopia's Khairi Bejiga was second in 26:51 and Kenya's Victor Kipruto third in 27:17. Behind them the day turned into a records clinic: the organisers counted two continental records and 19 national records, 14 by men and five by women.
Eilish McColgan set the other European record, 30:08, a British record as well. The women's race was won by Kenya's Brenda Jepchirchir in 29:25, from Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw in 29:29 and Kenya's Clare Ndiwa in 29:49.
The list of national records reads like a map of European distance running: Said Mechaal 27:25 for Spain, Mohamed Abdilaahi 27:22 for Germany, Magnus Tuv Myhre 27:22 for Norway, Efrem Gidey 27:38 for Ireland, Mike Foppen 27:39 for the Netherlands, Baldvin Magnusson 27:40 for Iceland, Mariana Machado 30:58 for Portugal, Tereza Hrochova 31:05 for the Czech Republic. Canada's Kieran Lumb ran 27:50 in 31st place to take 15 seconds off the Canadian road record.
It was also the biggest edition the race has held: 14,134 finishers in the 10K, 233 of them under 30 minutes and 2,524 under 40.
A flat course by the sea in January, and a start list deep enough that the 31st man home sets a national record. Valencia has made itself the place European runners go to find out what they are worth.
Sources: 10K Valencia Ibercaja; World Athletics; Athletics Illustrated.
