Prague Marathon
The Prague Marathon (also known as Prague International Marathon (PIM) and Volkswagen Prague Marathon) is held in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to become a significant marathon event, being awarded IAAF Gold Label status.[1] According to media it is the world's most international marathon, with two-thirds of runners coming from 55 different countries. Prague's marathon course is also the seventh-fastest and has been voted one of the most beautiful in the world.[2]
Prague Marathon | |
---|---|
Date | May |
Location | Prague, Czech Republic |
Event type | Road |
Distance | Marathon |
Primary sponsor | Volkswagen |
Established | 1995 |
Course records | Men's: 2:05:39 (2010) Women's: 2:19:46 (2019) |
Official site | Prague Marathon |
Participants | 7,290 (2019) |
History
The Prague Marathon event takes place over a full weekend and comprises several events, including the Volkswagen Prague Marathon, the Volkswagen Family Minimarathon 4.2 km, the Allianz Eco Walk 2 km, and the In-line party 6.5 km - a skating event. The Hervis Prague Half Marathon, which is also awarded IAAF Gold Label status, is held each March or April.[3]
Since its inception in 1995, the men's race has been dominated by East African runners, with Kenyan athletes in particular winning 13 titles alone. Hélder Ornelas became the first and so far only European men's winner in 2007. The winners of the women's race have been mainly Russian and Kenyan. Elena Vinitskaya of Belarus is the most successful women's athlete however, with her three straight wins from 1996 to 1998. Eliud Kiptanui is the men's record holder with 2:05:39 hours while Lonah Chemtai Salpeter has the women's course best of 2:19:45 hours.[4]
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants given the options of transferring their entry to 2021 or 2022 and transferring their entry to another runner.[lower-alpha 1][6][7]
Winners
Key: Course record Czech Republic championship race
Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 1995 | 2:12:44 | 2:39:33 | ||
2nd | 1996 | 2:12:21 | 2:37:33 | ||
3rd | 1997 | 2:09:07 | 2:32:58 | ||
4th | 1998 | 2:08:52 | 2:34:25 | ||
5th | 1999 | 2:11:19 | 2:28:33 | ||
6th | 2000 | 2:10:35 | 2:27:42 | ||
7th | 2001 | 2:10:14 | 2:26:33 | ||
8th | 2002 | 2:11:41 | 2:32:24 | ||
9th | 2003 | 2:11:56 | 2:31:10 | ||
10th | 2004 | 2:12:15 | 2:31:48 | ||
11th | 2005 | 2:10:42 | 2:28:42 | ||
12th | 2006 | 2:11:11 | 2:29:20 | ||
13th | 2007 | 2:11:49 | 2:33:10 | ||
14th | 2008 | 2:11:06 | 2:31:43 | ||
15th | 2009 | 2:07:48 | 2:28:27 | ||
16th | 2010 | 2:05:39 | 2:25:29 | ||
17th | 2011 | 2:07:07 | 2:22:34 | ||
18th | 2012 | 2:06:25 | 2:25:40 | ||
19th | 2013 | 2:08:51 | 2:27:00 | ||
20th | 2014 | 2:08:07 | 2:23:34 | ||
21st | 2015 | 2:08:32 | 2:23:49 | ||
22nd | 2016 | 2:07:24 | 2:24:46 | ||
23rd | 2017 | 2:08:47 | 2:21:57 | ||
24th | 2018 | 2:06:07 | 2:24:19 | ||
25th | 2019 | 2:05:58 | 2:19:46 | ||
2020 | cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic[6] |
Notes
- It had initially been postponed before being cancelled.[5]
References
- "Prague International Marathon - IAAF Gold Label for Volkswagen Prague Marathon!". www.praguemarathon.com. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
- "Volkswagen Prague Marathon in Prague, Czech Republic, NA: Details at Runner's World.com". runnersworld.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-28. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- "Prague International Marathon - Prague International Marathon receives the Prestigious IAAF Gold Label for its Hervis Prague Half Marathon". www.praguemarathon.com. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- Prague International Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2012-05-13.
- www.fg.cz, 2013, FG Forrest, a s. "Volkswagen Prague Marathon 2020 is postponed | RunCzech". runczech.com.
- https://www.runczech.com/en/for-you/for-runners/cancellation-and-new-race-dates/information/index.shtml
- https://www.runczech.com/en/for-you/for-runners/cancellation-and-new-race-dates/faq/index.shtml
- List of winners
- Prague International Marathon. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2012-05-13.