Rodrigue Kwizera Sets New Spanish Record at Valencia Half Marathon — image accompanying Marathon Handbook's report. Image accompanying Marathon Handbook’s report; reduced and presented for news commentary with the attributed report. View the complete source report.
Rodrigue Kwizera, born in Burundi, won the Valencia Half Marathon in 58:03, breaking the Spanish record. Kwizera, now a Spanish citizen, beat the previous record by over a minute. His time was also faster than the European record but not ratified.
Kwizera led the race with two other runners until the final kilometer. Thierry Ndikumwenayo finished second, and Victor Kipruto third. Both Kwizera and Ndikumwenayo ran under the old Spanish record. Read more culture coverage.
Sheila Chepkirui won the women's race in 1:03:51, the fastest time in the world this year. Diana Wanza and Daisilah Jerono followed closely behind. Laura Luengo set a new Spanish record for women in 20th place. Related: Valencia Half Marathon Elite Start List Announced.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Marathon Handbook. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
Reader questions
Questions about this report
What should runners know about Rodrigue Kwizera Sets New Spanish Record at Valencia Half Marathon?
Rodrigue Kwizera won the Valencia Half Marathon, breaking the Spanish record. Rodrigue Kwizera, born in Burundi, won the Valencia Half Marathon in 58:03, breaking the Spanish record. Kwizera, now a Spanish citizen, beat the previous record by over a minute. His time was also faster than the European record but not ratified.
When did Runner World publish this culture brief?
Runner World published this brief on October 25, 2026. The underlying Marathon Handbook report was dated October 25, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Marathon Handbook. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
THE WEEKLY BRIEFING
Start the week a step ahead.
A concise edit of the running stories worth knowing, sent every Monday.
