McColgan runs 30:08 to reclaim the women’s European record, while Andreas Almgren clocks the men’s European record of 26:45 and Joe Wigfield achieves a British record of 27:38.
Eilish McColgan has been on a long, tough road back from injury over the past three years. The 35-year-old underwent, among other things, knee surgery, but has gradually regained her best shape.
She proved it on Sunday (January 11) in Valencia when she regained her European 10km record from Jana Van Lent, a mark of 30:09 that the Belgian runner held for just a week before McColgan improved it to 30:08 on Spanish roads.
The “10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun”, to give it its full title, also saw a men’s European record from Andreas Almgren on Sunday, as the Swede improved his previous record from 26:53 to 26:45.
With PBs and national records falling at an incredible volume, in the melee of runners marching towards the finish line, Joe Wigfield equaled Rory Leonard’s UK 10km record of 27:38.
Very close to Wigfield, his British compatriots Alfie Manthorpe (27:40) and Scott Beattie (27:41) also narrowly missed Leonard’s record.
Leonard set his national record in Valencia last year, but this weekend he was competing in the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, an event that has arguably been overshadowed by the spectacular road performances in Valencia.
However, for all the record-breaking performances, the Valencia race has a slightly chaotic element. There were no live results, the online stream did not show McColgan during the race and with runners packed onto the start line, it was fortunate that the event avoided a repeat of the infamous pile-up from the 2023 race.
“This is my first time in Valencia and I’ve heard amazing things about this race,” McColgan said. “It’s also the first time I’ve competed with so many men around me, which means I never ran alone in the race. I’m very happy with today.”
Just days earlier, McColgan was sweeping snow from the inside lanes of a runway at an altitude training range for one of his final workouts.
“The last three years have been difficult,” McColgan added. “I rushed to run the London Marathon last year, but I wanted to work on improving my speed this winter before my next marathon.
“This is one of the bucket list races so I don’t know how I got to my age and I haven’t done it before. I’d like to go back to Valencia for the half and maybe even the marathon one day.”
Most of the online broadcast coverage focused on Almgren, who shaved eight seconds off his 12-month European record, also taking the No. 6 spot in the all-time world rankings.
“These are the best conditions so far,” said Almgren, who led most of the race, “but if I could have a pacer for the first 6 or 7 km and then go hard for the last 3 km, I could run even faster.”
Runner-up Khairi Bejiga of Ethiopia was knocked down by Almgren in the final kilometer and held on for 26:51 while Victor Kipruto of Kenya was third in 27:17.
As well as his 10km records, Almgren has enjoyed the last 12 months, having broken the European 5,000m record in Stockholm last summer in 12:44.27 and then becoming the first European to break the 59-minute barrier for the half marathon in 58:41 in Valencia in October.
On a weekend where 10K world record holder Agnes Ngetich ran in Tallahassee, Brenda Jepchirchir of Kenya won the women’s race in 29:25, while Likina Amebaw of Ethiopia was second in 29:30 and Clare Chemtai Ndwia of Kenya third in 29:49.
McColgan was eighth overall and Alex Bell was the next British woman home with 30:57 in 11th place. Other Brits included Izzy Fry (31:01), Clara Evans-Graham (31:18), Hannah Irwin (31:32), Sam Harrison (31:40), Lucy Jones (32:00) and Jess Martin, the Andorra-based British Olympian on her way back (32:04).
On the other hand, Said Mechaal achieved a Spanish men’s record of 27:25. Ireland’s Efrem Gidey ran 27:38 as he crossed the line a fraction behind Wigfield.
Other British men were Andy Butchart (27:43) and Zak Mahamed (27:46).
