Younnes Assehli has been one of the great protagonists of the Vitoria Half Marathon by achieving second position in a test that he knows … good. The athlete is participating for the fourth consecutive year and has completed his progression after a long process of personal improvement. Four years ago, he decided to leave the competition after going through a depression that completely affected his performance and health. That stage took him from weighing 55 kilos to reaching 83, but he managed to carry out a new, very complicated and worked-for physical change that is already beginning to bear fruit.
Last year he had already taken an important step in the Half Marathon in Vitoria, where he finished seventh with a time of 1:11:04. However, Assehli explains that he was not fully prepared yet. “I gained a lot of weight and it took me a lot to get back into rhythm,” he says. Even so, perseverance has been rewarded and in this edition he has managed to cut about three minutes, confirming a notable improvement. “Last year I rushed and wanted to compete quickly again, because the mind says one thing and the body says another, but in the end when you can’t, you can’t,” he admits sincerely.
This 2025 has been different. Since January, Assehli has been training six days a week, progressively increasing the intensity and taking care of every detail. “This year I’ve gotten back into shape and I feel phenomenal,” he says. The athlete also highlights the route of the event and the group role during the race. “It’s a very good race to run fast and if you have a group, even better.” Now that he has gotten closer to victory, although he keeps his feet on the ground, he does not hide his ambition. “Winning seems like big words to me, but hopefully.”
The runner-up assures that the key has been to fully focus on this objective. “I have focused on this race for a month and a half, taking care of details in every way and the truth is that I am very happy,” he concludes.
