Canada’s Malindi Elmore smashes national 45+ record at Valencia Marathon

On a warm Sunday morning in Valencia, Spain, Canada’s Malindi Elmore delivered a performance for the ages, running 2:24:53 to establish a new Canadian 45+ masters record and demolish the previous mark (held by Krista DuChene) by 14 minutes. The 45-year-old, once Canada’s marathon record holder, turned in her third-best time, missing her 2020 Houston mark by only three seconds and finishing as the 12th woman overall. Elmore’s time slots in as the fourth-fastest women’s marathon by a Canadian, trailing only her own quicker marks and Natasha Wodak’s national record.

Elmore’s time not only smashed the Canadian women’s 45+ mark, but it was also 36 seconds faster than the Canadian men’s mark of 2:25:29, held by Jim Finlayson.

Elmore, who lives in Kelowna, B.C., and works as a coach when she’s not racing, has been remarkably steady at the marathon for years. She pointed out the span she’s managed to hold on social media post-race: “Six years now of running consistently in the 2:23-2:28 range every year—and at 45.75 years old (haha every month counts now!).” The unexpectedly warm day caught up to Elmore in the second half of the race, and she wrote that she “hit a 10km rough patch between 25–35 km” before settling again for the final stretch. She reset her expectations mid-race and went hunting for sub-2:25, finishing with six seconds to spare.

Valencia delivers speed again

The Valencia Marathon is widely regarded as one of the fastest and most competitive road marathons in the world, with its flat, sea-level course winding through historic city streets and finishing next to the iconic architectural complex, the City of Arts and Sciences. The event draws elite fields and large crowds, making it a prime venue for record attempts. This year’s elite men’s race was won by Kenya’s John Korir, who crossed the line in 2:02:24. Korir won the Boston Marathon earlier this year in the second-fastest finish in the race’s history, despite falling and losing his bib early in the race. On Sunday, he was followed in by Amanal Petros (Germany) in second with 2:04:03, and Awet Kibrab (Norway) in third with 2:04:24, who both set new national records.

On the women’s side, fellow Kenyan star Joyciline Jepkosgei claimed victory with a blistering 2:14:00, setting a new course record and running the world-leading marathon time this year (and the fourth fastest women’s marathon time in history). Runner-up was her compatriot Peres Jepchirchir, who finished in 2:14:43, and third place went to Chloe Herbiet of Belgium in 2:20:38.

Other standout performances

Elmore wasn’t the only one turning heads on the Canadian front. Elissa Legault cracked the 2:30 barrier, finishing in 2:29:05 for 23rd. Her time was a significant PB for her and set a new Quebec marathon record.

On the international stage, former Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee sped to a 2:06:38 finish, good for seventh place and the second-fastest marathon ever by a British athlete, trailing only Mo Farah. The performance follows his marathon debut in London this spring, a 2:11:08 effort that put him 14th.

For full results of the 2025 Valencia Marathon, head here.