The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich 2026 will bring together, on December 6, a broad representation of the Spanish long-distance elite. Adel Mechaal and Irene Sánchez-Escribano will headline two of the most notable debuts on the distance, in a race that will also feature some of the best Spanish marathon runners of the moment.
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In the men’s category, Ibrahim Chakir (2:07:21) will lead the Spanish participation after being the first Spaniard to cross the finish line in the 2025 edition. The athlete will seek to repeat that result and improve his personal best, a goal shared by Yago Rojo (2:07:47), who also aims to approach two hours and six minutes.
The male lineup also includes Daniel Mateo (2:08:22), Jorge González (2:08:34) and Andreu Blanes (2:09:18), along with other names such as Chakib Lachgar (2:09:55), Jesús Ángel Olmos (2:10:16) and Iraitz Arróspide (2:10:59).
One of the big attractions will be the marathon debut of Adel Mechaal, a multiple European medalist on the track and cross country. Also making their debuts at the 42.195-kilometer distance will be Jesús Ramos and Irene Sánchez-Escribano, the latter one of Spain’s leading names in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
Four of the six best Spanish women in history
The women’s race will feature four of the six best Spanish female marathon runners of all time. Laura Luengo (2:22:31), Meritxell Soler (2:23:49), Fatima Azzaharaa Ouhaddou (2:24:05) and Ester Navarrete (2:24:31) will take the start in Valencia on December 6.
Luengo will return to competition after overcoming an injury, while Soler, Ouhaddou and Navarrete will form a high-level national team. They will be joined by Ikram Rharsalla Laktab (2:28:37), María Lázaro (2:35:52) and Yésica Mas (2:36:54), in addition to Irene Sánchez-Escribano, who will face her first distance experience.
The Redolat assessment
José Antonio Redolat, the selector of the Spanish marathon elite for the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich, highlights the level of participation: “It is a very strong field, with the best Spanish marathon runners currently. They approach the race in excellent form, so we will surely witness fast times that will once again place Valencia at the top of the national all-time rankings.”
