Disappointment for Jordan Hasay at the Valencia Marathon

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya continued her stellar season on Sunday morning in Valencia, taking the win in the women’s marathon and running a 2:17:16 in her debut over the distance. She becomes the fifth-fastest woman to cover 42.2K. On top of her great race on Sunday, in 2020 alone Jepchirchir has become the reigning world half-marathon champion and has (twice) set the women-only half-marathon world record. 

RELATED: Jepchirchir sets new women’s-only world record, wins World Championships

Second place went to Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2:18:40 and third place to Helalia Johannes of Namibia in 2:19:52. All three women ran huge personal bests. 

Spectacular personal best, course record and world leader for Peres Jepchirchir at #ValenciaMarathon: 2:17:16 (unofficial).

For my money, she was the World Athlete of the Year. Two HM world records (women only races) and now the fastest marathon for 2020 (5th fastest all-time). pic.twitter.com/cEt5nmh4aT

— David Monti (@d9monti) December 6, 2020

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Despite the fast course and good conditions, American Jordan Hasay struggled once again to pull off a strong marathon. Hasay finished a disappointing 27th, in 2:33:51. She has been targeting Deena Kastor‘s national record of 2:19:36 since she ran the second-fastest marathon of any American woman, a 2:20:57 in Chicago in 2017. However, since that run, the marathon times haven’t come so easily. 

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Hasay’s strongest result in the past two years came from the 2019 Boston Marathon, where she ran a 2:25:20 – an extremely impressive time on one of the hilliest marathon courses in the States. However, since Boston, Hasay has struggled. The 2019 Chicago Marathon fell just a few days after her former coach, Alberto Salazar, was suspended. She ultimately didn’t finish that race and went on to come 26th at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials a few months later. Neither of those results was what she had been hoping for. On Sunday, her 2:33 performance likely didn’t live up to her high standards, either. 

RELATED: Kibiwott Kandie smashes half-marathon world record in Valencia, runs 57:32

Full marathon results can be found here.