The Movistar Madrid Half Marathon will celebrate a very special edition on March 22 to mark its 25th anniversary, an event that will once again turn the streets of the Spanish capital into a great running festival. The race will also reach a historic milestone with 28,000 runners on the starting line, consolidating its position as one of the most popular half marathons in Europe.

This special edition will welcome top-level international athletes in both the men’s and women’s races. Among the African contingent are Kenyans Levy Kibet Chematat (1:00:45) and Joseph Waweru Nganga (1:00:48), both with personal bests under 1 hour and 1 minute over the 21.097 km distance. Meanwhile, Shadrack Kipkurui (1:01:16) and Raymond Cheruiyot (1:01:42) arrive after setting new personal bests in 2025 and will also be contenders for victory on the streets of Madrid. Ecuador’s Segundo Oswaldo (1:02:28) and Kenyan Christopher Kitetu (1:04:09) complete a group that promises to set a fast pace from the very first kilometers.

One of the main attractions in the men’s race will undoubtedly be the presence of Spanish runner Juan Antonio ‘Chiki’ Pérez (1:00:58), one of the most consistent long-distance runners in recent years and the Spanish Half Marathon Champion in 2024. The recent signing for Team Joma arrives in Madrid aiming to deliver a standout performance and add another victory to his extensive list of achievements.

The women’s race also features several prestigious international names. One of them is Romanian runner Stella Rutto (1:07:45), a 3,000-metre steeplechase specialist and a recent high-profile signing for the Toledo-based brand just a few months ago. However, the main favourite is Kenya’s Caroline Jebet Korir (1:07:23), winner of races such as the Azkoitia–Azpeitia Half Marathon. Bulgaria’s Devora Avramova (1:12:52) and debutant Jedidah Chepkemoi complete the field.

Among the Spanish athletes, the main reference will be Fátima Azzahraa Ouhaddou (1:09:09), who will tackle the distance with serious ambitions of claiming the overall victory, something a Spanish distance runner has not achieved since 2007, when Madrid triathlete Ana Burgos won with a time of 1:15:24. In 2025, Fátima achieved her greatest successes on the road, winning two gold medals — individual and 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 take part in the Movistar Madrid Half Marathon. Speaking of loyalty, four runners have been true protagonists for 36 years, having completed every single edition of the event without exception, including those held before the year 2000 when the race was run over 20 km before becoming an official half marathon. They are Lucas Alonso, Alfredo Calderón, Juan Pedro García and Juan Carlos Muñoz, who will wear race bibs 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The Movistar Madrid Half Marathon will award €2,500 to the male and female winners, provided they meet the performance standards set out in the race regulations, with an additional €2,000 bonus if the current course records are broken: 59:38 in the men’s race and 1:07:22 in the women’s race.