The Valencia Ibercaja 10K by Kiprun will hold its most popular edition this coming Sunday, January 11. A total of 18,000 registered runners, including 16,000 in the 10K and 2,000 in the 5K, will kick off the year's running calendar in an event that comes of age in 2026 with an 18th edition that promises to be a new spectacle.
The world's fastest 10K, which sold out on November 24, will once again thrill thousands of participants to the rhythm of Chimo Bayo's "Hu-Ha!" as they set off at 9:30 a.m. from Paseo de la Alameda.
Specifically, a meticulous wave start has been organized with up to 16 different starts, from 9:30 a.m. with the start of the World Elite and Sub Elite athletes, until 10:05 a.m. This will be one of the new features of the race, as it will have more starts than in any other edition to ensure the maximum possible comfort for the runners.
The information was revealed at the presentation ceremony, which took place at the Veles e Vents building, where the Career Fair is being held, and which was attended by, among others, representatives of the brands collaborating and sponsoring the event, such as Kiprun, Valencia Ciudad del Running, 226, Autiber Motor, Quirónsalud, Coca-Cola, Cárnicas Serrano, and Divina Seguros, as well as the most representative Valencian running clubs, Chimo Bayo, responsible for livening up the start of the race each year with his famous "Hu-Ha!" and Tomás Trénor, president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Valencia, a charitable organization.
The event was attended by Rocío Gil, Valencia City Council's Councilor for Sports; José Gil, Ibercaja's Provincial Director for Valencia; and Álex Aparicio, the race director. They were accompanied by Tomás Trénor, President of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, a charitable organization, as well as representatives from other sponsoring brands and members of Valencia's leading running clubs.
Another new feature of this edition of the Valencia 10K is that, "for reasons of assembly and to cause as little disruption as possible to traffic and EMT bus routes, the start and finish line on Paseo de la Alameda has been moved a few meters towards Puente de las Flores. This has meant that the world's fastest circuit has undergone slight modifications in some of its sections and has had to be re-approved," explained Álex Aparicio.
In addition, this year some of the services such as the cloakroom, medal engraving, parking for bikes and scooters, and the Women's Tent have been moved to the Turia Garden to relieve congestion in the post-finish area.
During the presentation ceremony, José Gil, provincial director of Ibercaja in Valencia, the main sponsor of the race, highlighted the high quality of the event, its excellent organization, and its exceptional popularity, which grows every year. "At Ibercaja, we are very pleased to be present every year at a race in which we recognize the values we share at Ibercaja and which we express in our daily activities, such as closeness, authenticity, vocation, and drive. These are values that also guide our presence in society." Gil added that "we believe in people and are moved by the stories behind each athlete, each volunteer, and each fan."
The Valencia 10K continues to attract attention from around the world
At this point, Aparicio explained that more and more runners want to come to the Valencia 10K to achieve their best times. In fact, the race holds the two World Records, male and female, as well as the European and Spanish records for men. This year, with 120 World Elite athletes and nearly 300 Sub Elite athletes, it will seek to break the remaining records: the Spanish and European records for women.
"If these marks are achieved, the Valencia 10K will be the only race in the world, alongside the Chicago Marathon, to hold all six major records," said Aparicio.
Increased female participation
For her part, Rocío Gil, Valencia City Council's Councilor for Sports and Equality, pointed out that the participation figures endorse "our city's organizational capacity and the expertise of our sports community." "Valencia is proud to welcome 2026 with this traditional 10K, where local, national, and international runners come together to take the first step in a calendar full of events," said the councilor.
She also pointed out that it is not just "that every year more runners want to come to Valencia to participate in this 10K, but that there are more and more fans of this sport and, above all, more and more women who practice it and are encouraged to compete." "The percentage of women registered has stabilized at 35%, matching last year's record," said Rocío Gil, adding that in the 5K "this percentage reaches 59%."
5K Valencia Ibercaja and 10Kids Valencia Quirónsalud
In this edition, the Valencia 10K will celebrate its fourth consecutive year of holding a parallel 5K race. The Valencia Ibercaja 5K also sold out weeks ago after reaching 2,000 registered runners, the limit set for this year.
Another new feature is that participants in the 5K will share the same starting line (and finish line) as those in the 10K. This means that runners in the 5K, who will start at 8:15 a.m., will cross the finish line while those in the 10K are getting ready at their starting blocks.
The day before the two races, 800 young runners, aged 0 to 16, will enjoy the weekend festivities by joining the 10Kids Valencia Quirónsalud. The children's races will be held on the previous Saturday, January 10, starting at 11:00 a.m. at the Estadi del Túria Athletics Tracks.
