The Warsaw Marathon (Polish: Maraton Warszawski pronounced: [maˈratɔn varˈʂafskʲi], also referred to as the PZU Warsaw Marathon[a]) is an annual marathon event which takes place on the streets of Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest annual marathon in Poland, held since 1979. The marathon is organized by the non-governmental organization Fundacja Maraton Warszawski. The race usually takes place on the last Sunday of September.
| Warsaw Marathon | |
|---|---|
 Runners on Commission of National Education Avenue north of Imielin metro station in 2013 | |
| Date | Late September or early October |
| Location | Warsaw, Poland |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | Nationale-Nederlanden |
| Established | 30 September 1979 |
| Course records | Men's: 2:08:17 (2011) John KibetWomen's: 2:28:35 (2022)  Demissie Ayantu |
| Official site | Official website |
| Participants | 2,734 finishers (2021)[1] 854 finishers (2020) 4,557 (2019) |
It is one of two marathons hosted in the city, alongside the Orlen Warsaw Marathon, generally held in April. The marathon is one of five in the Crown of Polish Marathons program, along with the Dębno, Kraków, Poznań, and Wrocław Marathons.[2][3]
Polish competitors have traditionally triumphed in the early editions of the event both in the men's and women's competitions. However, since the fall of communism in 1989, the race has attracted more international participants who started to dominate the race. The current course records are 2:08:17 hours for men, set by John Kibet of Kenya in 2011, while Ethiopian Demissie Ayantu's run of 2:28:35 in 2022 is the fastest by a woman on the course.
History
editThe marathon was first held on 30 September 1979 under the original name "1st Marathon of Peace" (to convince socialistic regime about the idea of "run for health, run for all"). It happened thanks to the three brave people: Tomasz Hopfer (TVP journalist and runner), Józef Węgrzyn (journalist and runner) and Zbigniew Zaremba (1st director of the Warsaw Marathon; and running coach). In the inaugural race, the length of the course was just 40.6 kilometres (25.2 mi), and not the normal, classic distance of 42.195 km (26.219 mi).
In 2000 the men's race and in 2012 the women's race had the status of Polish Marathon National Championships.[4]
From 2013, the Polish insurance company Powszechny Zakład Ubezpieczeń (PZU) became a title sponsor, and the marathon was renamed "PZU Warsaw Marathon".[5]
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Course map of full marathon in 2020[6] |
In 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers rescheduled the marathon to take place over four separate heats during the weekend, with each heat having a maximum of 250 runners.[7][b] In addition, the course was changed to a loop of 5 km (3.1 mi) in the center of the city.[6][c] Since nearly 2000 runners had already registered for the race, a lottery was held to determine who was allowed to participate, with those denied a spot allowed to transfer their entry to 2021 or obtain a refund.[7][8][d]
| Heat | Date | Time | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 September 2020 | 16:00 | 6.5 hours |
| 2 | 27 September 2020 | 00:00 | 6.5 hours |
| 3 | 27 September 2020 | 08:00 | 4.0 hours |
| 4 | 27 September 2020 | 13:00 | 6.0 hours |
Other races
editAlthough the main attraction is the marathon, there is also a handbike marathon and a "High Five Race" (5 km race). Since 2022, a 10-kilometre race aimed at beginners known as the Pekao SA Warszawska Dycha has also been organized as part of the event.[10]
Other activities
editDuring the marathon weekend, additional activities take place, such as a sport and fitness expo, running seminars, and activities for children.
Results
editKey: Course record
Multiple wins
edit| Athlete | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Karina Szymańska (POL) |
4 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003 |
| Wiesław Lenda (POL) |
3 | 1987, 1994, 1997 |
 Yelena Tsukhlo (BLR) |
3 | 1994, 1995, 1996 |
| Stefania Kozik (POL) |
2 | 1984, 1988 |
| Ezekiel Omullo (KEN) |
2 | 2015, 2016 |
| Yared Shegumo (POL) |
2 | 2013, 2021 |
 Svitlana Stanko (UKR) |
2 | 2011, 2014 |
By country
edit| Country | Total | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland |
51 | 27 | 24 |
| Kenya |
11 | 8 | 3 |
| Ethiopia |
7 | 4 | 3 |
| Ukraine |
6 | 1 | 5 |
| Belarus |
4 | 0 | 4 |
 Russia |
3 | 0 | 3 |
 Bulgaria |
2 | 2 | 0 |
 Hungary |
2 | 2 | 0 |
 Bahrain |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Germany |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Soviet Union |
1 | 0 | 1 |
 Tanzania |
1 | 1 | 0 |
 United States |
1 | 0 | 1 |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ This name may be used for sponsorship reasons or to distinguish it from the Orlen Warsaw Marathon.
- ^ Restrictions due to the pandemic limited the number of people that could simultaneously compete in a race to 250 people.[7]
- ^ The start and finish was located on Senator Street in front of Theatre Square, and the majority of the loop was located on the Krakowskie Przedmieście and Miodowa Streets.[6]
- ^ Before the lottery was held, all registrants were given the option of transferring their entry to 2021 in case any were uninterested in participating.[7]
- ^ Limited due to restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.[7]
- ^ a b Shorter distance (about 40.6 km)
References
edit- ^ a b "43. Maraton Warszawski" (PDF). 2021-09-26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ^ "ZIS Kraków".
- ^ "Crown of Polish marathons | Poznań Marathon".
- ^ "Warsaw Marathon". Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "PZU became a title sponsor for Warsaw Marathon". pzu.pl (in Polish). 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
- ^ a b c "Course – Maraton Warszawski". maratonwarszawski.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "42nd Warsaw Marathon will take place on September 26th and 27th 2020! - Maraton Warszawski". Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
- ^ "Ballot results – Maraton Warszawski". Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
- ^ "Distribution of slots in the 42nd PZU ORLENWarsaw Marathon – the rules". Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ^ "44. Maraton Warszawski przeszedł do historii. Rekord imprezy wśród kobiet" (in Polish). 25 September 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
- ^ "2024 Warsaw Marathon results". sts-timing.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "45. Maraton Warszawski – Warszawa 2023 info, trasa, wyniki". aktywer.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Live.sts-timing.pl. 2022. STS-TIMING.PL – WYNIKI". Retrieved 2022-09-26.
- ^ "STS-Timing.pl – Wyniki". Archived from the original on 2020-09-27.
- ^ "Kto wygrał 42. PZU ORLEN Maraton Warszawski? 854 zawodników na mecie biegu stacjonarnego". 27 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-09-28.
- ^ September 2013 AIMS results Archived 2016-03-17 at the Wayback Machine. AIMS. Retrieved on 2013-10-05.
- ^ Wyniki online. 35mw (2013-09-29). Retrieved on 2013-10-05.