2024 Ras Al Khaimah champion Daniel Mateiko has made a strong comeback from an injury sustained after the Paris Olympic Games and is now preparing for the Valencia Half Marathon, scheduled for October 27, 2024, in Spain.
Fully recovered and focused, the 2023 Antrim Coast Half Marathon champion has set his sights on victory.
Mateiko, with a personal best of 58:26 in the half marathon, will face tough competition in Valencia, where 13 athletes have broken the 60-minute barrier. Among them are Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (57:41) and Selemon Barega (57:50), making this one of the season’s most anticipated races.
In an exclusive interview with *Citizen Digital*, Mateiko shared his confidence in his preparations:
“After the Paris Olympics, I was dealing with a sore muscle injury, but I’m fully recovered now.
“I’ve been preparing well for the Valencia Half Marathon, and I’m targeting a personal best.
“If everything goes as planned, I’ll be aiming for the win.”
The Mt. Elgon native, who placed 11th in the 10,000m final at the Paris Olympics, also spoke about the challenges of transitioning between road races and track events.
He stressed the importance of starting his training early as he looks ahead to the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
“Balancing road racing and track events is tricky, especially since track races require more speed work.
“To be in top shape for next year’s World Championships, I’ll need to begin my track training early to avoid injuries.
“The shift from marathon training to track is no easy task,” Mateiko admitted.
His career has been on a fast rise, having served as a pacemaker at last year’s London and Chicago Marathons, where Kelvin Kiptum set a course record of 2:01:25 in London and a world record of 2:00:35 in Chicago.
Strong Men’s Elite Field in Valencia
The men’s elite field for the Valencia Half Marathon is stacked with talent, including Tadese Worku, debutant Vincent Langat, Isaiah Kipkoech, Edward Cheserek, Bravin Kiprop, Weldon Langat, and Gemechu Dida.
On the women’s side, Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich leads the seed list. In January, Ngetich set the 10km road world record at the Valencia Ibercaja 10K with a stunning time of 28:46, which also included a 5K world record split of 14:13.
As the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier on the roads, Ngetich is poised for her half-marathon debut in Valencia and is one of the favorites to clinch victory.
Her main rivals will include Tsigie Gebreselama from Ethiopia and fellow Kenyan debutant Lilian Kasait Rengeruk.
Catherine Amanang’ole, Faith Chepkoech, and Diana Chepkorir are also expected to make strong showings as they debut at the distance.
