The Movistar Madrid Half Marathon will celebrate on March 22 a very special edition to mark its 25th anniversary, an event that will once again turn the streets of the capital into a great running festival. The race will also reach a historic figure with 28,000 runners on the start line, establishing itself as one of the most popular half marathons in Europe. This very special edition will welcome outstanding top-level international athletes in both the men’s and women’s fields. Thus, among the lineup of Africans are the Kenyans Levy Kibet Chematat (1:00:45) and Joseph Waweru Nganga (1:00:48), both with times under one hour and one minute over the 21.097 kilometers. Meanwhile, Shadrack Kipkurui (1:01:16) and Raymond Cheruiyot (1:01:42) also arrive after breaking their personal bests in 2025 and with chances to contest the win on the streets of the capital. The Ecuadorian Segundo Oswaldo (1:02:28) and fellow Kenyan Christopher Kitetu (1:04:09) complete a group that promises to set a fast pace from the early kilometers. But without a doubt, one of the main attractions in the men’s field will be the presence of the athlete from La Mancha Juan Antonio ‘Chiki’ Pérez (1:00:58), one of the most consistent distance runners in recent years and Spanish half marathon champion in 2024. The recent signing of the Joma team arrives in Madrid with the goal of delivering a strong performance and adding another victory to his extensive record.

Meanwhile, the women’s field also features prominent and world-renowned names. One of them is the Romanian Stella Rutto (1:07:45), a 3,000m steeplechase specialist and a star signing of the Toledo-based team just a few months ago. However, leading the field is the Kenyan Caroline Jebet Korir (1:07:23), winner of races such as the Azkoitia Azpeitia Half Marathon. The Bulgarian Devora Avramova (1:12:52) and the debutant Jedidah Chepkemoi complete the lineup.

Among the Spanish athletes, the main reference will be Fátima Azzahraa Ouhaddou (1:09:09), who will take on the distance with strong aspirations of claiming the overall win—something that has not happened with a national distance runner since 2007, when the Madrid triathlete Ana Burgos won with a time of 1:15:24. Fátima achieved her greatest successes on the road in 2025, taking two gold medals—one individual and one team—in the marathon distance at the European Championships in Belgium. Of course, Azucena Díaz (1:12:08), one of the most loyal runners to the event, will also be at the Movistar Madrid Half Marathon. Although speaking of loyalty, there are four runners who are undoubtedly the protagonists for 36 years, having completed every edition of the event without fail, even those held before the year 2000 when the race had a 20-kilometer course before officially becoming a half marathon. They are Lucas Alonso, Alfredo Calderón, Juan Pedro García, and Juan Carlos Muñoz, who will wear bib numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.

The Movistar Madrid Half Marathon will award €2,500 to the male and female winners of the event, as long as they record times below those required in the regulations, with an additional €2,000 bonus if the standing records are broken: 59:38 in the men’s field and 1:07:22 in the women’s field.