What should we expect from Letesenbet Gidey on her marathon debut in Valencia?

This feature, by Deji Ogeyingbo, is on Letesenbet Gidey and her exciting debut this coming weekend over the marathon distance in Valencia! Will she break the world record?

What should we expect from Letesenbet Gidey on her marathon debut in Valencia?

Valencia has always been kind to Letesenbet Gidey. Of her four world record runs, two of them came in the Spanish city, and on December 4^th, she will return there to make her marathon debut. So many eyes would be fixed on what potentially could be the fastest marathon debut of all time. Such is the anticipation that many pundits have even predicted that the Ethiopian could well be within her rights to run within two hours and fourteen seconds. 

There are so many things to unravel from what could be written into the history books. Something similar to what Eliud Kipchoge did with the INEOS 1:59 challenge. For the most part, in running, women have often taken the backseat with regard to taking the shine when they produce astonishing results, and that’s because whatever they do would, in the grand scheme of things, pale in comparison to what the men do. 

Surely not Gidey. At 24, she’s on top of her game, and the Valencia marathon offers her a chance to reach heights no woman has before in running. From the fast course to the elite field and a rich history of breaking records, the 2022 women’s 10,000m champion is delicately poised to come up with something special. 

So, what should we expect from her? A world record or maybe a sub 2:13? As it stands, Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei owns the marathon world record with 2:14:04 from her run in Chicago in 2019, while her countrywoman Ruth Chepngetich coming close with another 2:14:18 run this year. These two are the only athletes to know what it feels like to run a 2:14.

The Valencia course is a fairly flat one and remains unchanged from previous years. It’s one of the fastest courses in the world. Up to 60 athletes achieved their qualification times for the Tokyo Olympics during the 2020 edition. 

In 2018, the course underwent various enhancements. There was the scrapping of several 90-degree turns and one 180-degree turn, making the route of Spain’s fastest 42,195-meter race into a circuit with just 34 turns instead of the 44 hitherto. It enabled athletes to put less effort into chasing new records by taking the shortest way through some of the city’s big roundabouts.