On the Spanish race course, Jepchirchir and Jepkosgei maintained a close contest throughout the 42,195 km distance. A turning point occurred at the 35 km mark – a point where many athletes typically "hit the wall".

Jepkosgei missed her water bottle at a critical aid station. Meanwhile, Jepchirchir secured her bottle and faced two choices: capitalize on her opponent's mistake to accelerate or share the valuable energy source.

The moment Jepchirchir handed a water bottle to Jepkosgei.

Ultimately, the 32-year-old runner chose a sporting act, offering her water bottle to her compatriot. However, this gesture is believed to have cost her the advantage. Just one kilometer later, Jepkosgei recovered, accelerated powerfully, and crossed the finish line in 2 hours 14 minutes – a season best and a new course record. Jepchirchir finished second, 43 seconds behind her compatriot.

Both Kenyan runners broke the previous course record (2 hours 14 minutes 58 seconds), but only Jepkosgei was credited with the win and set a new milestone. As a result, she received a total of USD 107,000, comprising USD 75,000 for the championship prize and USD 32,000 for the course record – nearly double Jepchirchir's prize money.

Joyciline Jepkosgei finished first at the Valencia Marathon 2025 on 7/12. *Photo: EPA*

According to Canadian Running Magazine, missing a water bottle is an individual error, and athletes are not obligated to assist each other in such a demanding race. Jepchirchir could have fully exploited this moment to accelerate. However, her choice – though it put her at a disadvantage – demonstrated a rare spirit of fair play among elite athletes. Jepchirchir left Valencia with a new personal best (PB), a runner-up finish, and a positive image of sportsmanship.

Jepchirchir boasts an impressive collection of titles, from the Olympic Tokyo 2020 marathon gold medal to two world half marathon championships. She won New York in 2021, Boston in 2022, and twice triumphed at the London Marathon, including setting a world record for women in a mixed-gender race without male pacers in 2024. Jepchirchir also previously held the world half marathon record with 1 hour 5 minutes 6 seconds.

Jepkosgei competes in distances ranging from 10,000 m to marathon. She previously held the world half marathon record in a mixed-gender race with a time of 64 minutes 51 seconds, and is also a former world record holder for the 10 km distance.

John Korir celebrates finishing first at the Valencia Marathon 2025. *Photo: Reuters*

In the men's Valencia Marathon 2025, John Korir finished first in 2 hours 2 minutes 24 seconds – a career best, with two splits of 1 hour 1 minute 47 seconds and 1 hour 0 minutes 37 seconds. Korir is a renowned Kenyan runner, having won two major races: Chicago 2024 and Boston 2025.

Following him were Amanal Petros (Germany) with 2 hours 4 minutes 3 seconds and Awet Kibrab (Norway) with 2 hours 2 minutes 24 seconds – both national records.

By Hong Duy (according to Canadian Running Magazine)