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A historic mark was sought in San Sebastián, and it has been achieved. Mark Kosgei Kiptoo, a man who rose to African track champion and captained the formidable Kenyan cross-country team, shattered this Sunday in the fifth edition of the San Sebastián Rural Half Marathon Kutxa the best record ever set by a 50-year-old athlete over the 21.097 kilometers. Kiptoo completed the distance in 1:03:57, surpassing the previous master 50 world best (Juan Antonio Cuadrillero, 1:06:17).
The accomplished and veteran athlete, who had arrived in the Gipuzkoa capital with that objective fixed in mind before retirement, was the main protagonist in a race with 5200 entrants (another record) in which Maitane Melero was the female winner, the woman who claimed the winner’s txapela. The Navarrese, who had reached a European track final and is five times Spanish absolute champion, triumphed with a time of 1:15:44, adding luster to the event’s history, which also includes other notable names in Spanish athletics such as Meritxell Soler, Irene Pelayo, or Elena Loyo.
The Races
Both Kiptoo and Melero were the big favorites and did not disappoint. In the men’s race, the local Joseba Díaz set the pace, around 3:05 per kilometer during the first kilometers. He towed until just after the seventh kilometer, at which point Kiptoo stayed at the front with Iraitz Arrospide. The Kenyan, realising he had more in his legs, accelerated and soon after left the pacer behind. Encouraged by the ever-faithful Donostian crowd, Kiptoo rode solo to the finish line and proudly displayed the banner announcing the master’s world record.
Behind him, Arrospide delivered an excellent performance, completing the 21.097 kilometers in 1:04:51. Third, from start to finish, was Youness Assehli (1:07:19).
In the women’s race, the pace was set by the Madrid-born María Lázaro. The Madrid-born runner, the 2025 Spanish marathon champion, saw that the only woman capable of following her was Melero. By around the eighth kilometer, Lázaro began to fade and the Navarrese took command. She enjoyed the moment and secured the victory. Second finally was Swiss Janice Studler (1:18:19), who passed Lázaro in the final meters (1:18:27).
The light rain and the wet asphalt accompanied the participants for much of this fifth edition of the San Sebastián Rural Kutxa Half Marathon.
Other Podiums
Besides the overall podium, prizes were also awarded to the best Basque athletes (Hyundai Oarso Car), Gipuzkoans (Muy Gipuzkoa), and Donostiarras (Euskadi LowCost). In the women’s category, the Donostian Maite Arraiza was the standout in all these awards (fifth overall with 1:21:20), while Iraitz Arrospide was the best-placed Basque and Gipuzkoan; Gonzalo Fuentes (tenth with 1:10:38) was the fastest Donostiarra.
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Solidarity Finish
The organization, in collaboration with SALTO FOUNDATION, handed out a €4,000 check to ASPARGI, a non-profit association that was founded in September 2000 to address the needs of families and individuals affected by Parkinson’s and parkinsonism to cope with the consequences of the disease. The finisher medals awarded to the runners were handed out by ASPARGI volunteers. Participants from KEMEN also took part.
