Malaga ultramarathon runner makes history with World Championship silver

Antonio Jesús Aguilar Conejo has ended Spain’s nine-year medal drought in the 100km, breaking a veteran world record in the process

Marina Rivas

Malaga

Sunday, 8 December 2024, 14:25

A Malaga-born ultramarathon runner achieved a historic milestone on Saturday by winning silver in the 100km World Championships held in Bangalore, India.

Antonio Jesús Aguilar Conejo's remarkable performance ended Spain’s nine-year medal drought in this gruelling event and led the national team to an overall silver medal.

In his international debut for the Spanish athletics team, the 45-year-old executed a tactical race. Maintaining a steady pace in the early stages, he advanced to third place by the halfway mark before overtaking Japan’s Okayama at 75km.

Aguilar finished second with a time of six hours, 25 minutes and 54 seconds, setting a new International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) world record for the over-45 category. Gold went to Japan’s Yamaguchi, whose dominant run left a 12-minute gap.

Aguilar’s achievement also helped the Spanish team secure silver in the team rankings, supported by Félix Pont’s fifth place and Manel Deli’s 17th.

"The final 20km were exhausting," he said. "The conditions were tough, with heat, humidity and a challenging course."

The historic result was a proud moment for Malaga, with Raúl López, also from the province, serving as the team’s technical director.

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