Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) got his 2026 racing schedule off to a dream start this morning (Sunday 11th January) by breaking his own Irish 10k road record in Valencia, Spain.
The 25-year-old clocked a time of 27:37 in the world-renowned 10K Valencia Ibercaja race, taking six seconds off his previous best which was set at the same event last year. Gidey finished 12th overall, the race won by Andreas Almgren (Sweden) in a European record time of 26:44.
Also in the race Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) obliterated his previous best of 28:13, clocking an outright PB of 27:39, below the previous Irish record. This saw him cross the line in 18th. O’Leary, who was fifth at the recent European Cross Country Championships, joins Gidey in running under the automatic qualifying standard for the European Athletics Championships which will be held in Birmingham in August.
O’Leary’s clubmate Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) clocked 28:03 to finish 39th, while Callum Morgan (Candour Track Club) was 45th in 28:08.
Ava Crean (Back2Boston Running Club AC) also impressed on the streets of Valencia, the 19-year-old clocked a new Irish U23 10km road record of 32:46.
- Valencia 10k results are HERE
- Records subject to ratification
