The IAAF / Trinidad Alfonso Valencia Half Marathon World Championship 2018 already knows the provisional list of stars that will compete next March 24 in the afternoon. And before the start, the first record has been broken, with the participation of 315 athletes selected by 87 countries. In this way, the record of countries and athletes in league, which was 56 and 256, respectively, is widely beaten. All of them will premiere the fast route for this World Cup in the city of running for the women's and men's competition on the afternoon of Saturday, March 24.

Among the 176 male athletes is the Kenyan Geoffrey Kanworor, winner of the last two half-marathon world championships and one of the four runners with marks under 59 minutes. Among them the representative of Bahrain Abraham Cheroben, who holds the record of the Valencian half marathon (58:48, although his best personal record is 58:40), Jorum Okombo (58:48) and Alex Korio (58:51). These last three have made their marks in the last six months, as well as the Ethiopian Jemal Yimer (59:00).

In addition, up to 12 athletes have run the distance 21,097.5 meters in less than an hour, and 28 below 1h01: 00. Not counting several young athletes, almost debutants, competing for the first time in Europe selected by Ethiopia, Japan, Uganda and Eritrea, so the competition for medals and brands seems assured. The test also has the attraction of seeing the legendary and veteran US mediofondista Bernard Lagat, who this time goes up in what may be his official farewell to major championships, and the Swiss Julien Waders, who seeks to lose 60 minutes

In the female category, which has its own start at 17:05 hours and is therefore configured as a race for women only, there are 139 runners selected to compete in this IAAF / Trinidad Alfonso WHM Valencia 2018. Among them, the current recordwoman world marathon, Joyciline Jepkosgei, who managed to climb to the top of the ranking with 1:04:51 (mixed race with men) precisely in the Half Marathon Valencia last October. In total there are 20 accredited women below 1h10: 30 (among them the Spanish Trihas Gebre), and exactly the same as in the male category, there are half a dozen 'covered' fondistas, born between 1996 and 1999, almost unknown and without only reference times, but which have been selected by Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda or Japan.

A total of 315 elite athletes, selected by their countries and competing with the colors of the different national federations, will premiere the new and fast route for this World Cup in the running city for the male and female competition on the afternoon of Saturday, the 24th March.

Next March 23, after the technical meeting with the countries represented, the final list of athletes who will take the start one day later will be made official with the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia.

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