{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Running Story | Marathon Handbook News","title":"This Will Be The Race Of The Year","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1336,"description":"Valencia just dropped its elite headliners for the December 2026 marathon, and it might be the biggest race of the year. Thomas Watson and Jessy Carveth break down why Valencia, not a World Marathon Major, has become the sport's premier speed showcase, built around a €1 million bonus for anyone who breaks the world record.\nOn the men's side, Yomif Kejelcha (runner-up to Sebastian Sawe's sub-2 in London) is set for a showdown with defending champion John Korir, fresh off his Boston course record. Alexander Mutiso and Dawit Wolde lurk as dark horses. On the women's side, all eyes are on Fotyen Tesfay, who ran the second-fastest marathon in history (2:10:51) in her Barcelona debut, and defending champ Joyciline Jepkosgei.\nThomas and Jessy dig into the tech arms race (super shoes, lactate gels), why organizer Juan Roig (the billionaire behind Mercadona) has built Valencia around pure speed instead of major-marathon spectacle, and why Nike's biggest names are notably absent from the field. Plus: quick-fire predictions, and Thomas reveals he's got his own bib for race day.\nThe Valencia Marathon takes place December 6, 2026.\nChapters:\n00:00 Why Valencia could be the race of 2026\n00:50 Valencia announces its elite headliners\n02:25 Setting up a Kejelcha vs. Korir showdown\n04:08 Two near-misses with marathon history\n05:15 How Kejelcha is building toward December\n06:17 Super shoes, lactate gels and the tech arms race\n07:28 Dark horse alert: Alexander Mutiso\n08:16 The women's field: Fotyen Tesfay chases the world record\n09:41 Wiping the slate clean on a tainted world record\n10:37 Why Valencia isn't chasing World Major status\n11:34 Juan Roig's €1M bonus and his dream for the city\n12:16 Meet Juan Roig, the \"Sam Walton of Spain\"\n13:57 Pure racing over spectacle — and a new ballot system\n16:30 Quick-fire predictions: the men's race\n17:25 Quick-fire predictions: the women's race\n18:21 Will more big names join before the October field release?\n19:01 Nike's curious absence from the...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/iqDGe9DxDpY1l8BoQxgoESNXN2Mwe1NlegSGpqvPTMk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hOTUx/YWQ1MDRiMDExMGFm/OWEwMDIxMGM0ZTFl/M2NkMC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}