The Ljubljana Marathon (Slovene: Ljubljanski maraton) is a marathon organised in Ljubljana by the City Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL). It has been taking place since 1996 and attracts several thousand people each year.

Ljubljana Marathon
The Ljubljana Marathon Logo
DateLast Sunday in October
LocationLjubljana, Slovenia
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Primary sponsorVolkswagen
Established1996 (28 years ago) (1996)
Course recordsMen's: 2:04:58 (2018)
Ethiopia Sisay Lemma
Women's: 2:21:05 (2023)
Ethiopia Gerado Senbeta Zinash
Official siteLjubljana Marathon
Participants2,246 finishers (2024)
1,611 (2023)
1,208 (2022)
Running on Vienna Street [sl] under a railway bridge near Ljubljana station about one kilometre into the race, 2015

History

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The marathon was first held on 27 October 1996.[1][2] A total of 673 runners participated in the inaugural event, with 153 runners taking part in the marathon.[3]

In 2020, the 25th Ljubljana Marathon was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to 2021 or obtaining a full refund.[4][5] However, the marathon organizers were also planning to hold another marathon that was compliant with coronavirus restrictions, called the "Maraton po Ljubljani",[a] on the originally scheduled date of 25 October 2020, with only up to 450[b] runners allowed to take part.[4][7][c] Nine days before the scheduled date, the Maraton po Ljubljani was cancelled due to the second wave of the pandemic, with all registrants automatically receiving refunds.[8][9]

Course

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External images
  Course map of full marathon in 2015[10]
  Course map of full marathon in 2019[11]
 
Profile of full marathon in 2015

The marathon runs on roughly a loop course that begins on Slovenia Street [sl] near the national theatre and ends about a block away in Congress Square.[11]

Runners first run north along Slovenia Street into the Bežigrad District before heading west into the Šiška and Dravlje Districts.[11] The course then heads south into the Rožnik District, running west of Rožnik Hill, before heading back toward the city centre for the halfway point.[11]

The marathon then briefly heads southwest into the Vič District before heading east through the Trnovo and Rudnik Districts.[11] Runners then head back northwest to the Ljubljanica river, roughly following the river northeast until they cross Zalog Street [sl].[11] The course then enters the Jarše District by running northwest along Kajuh Street [sl] before the marathoners enter the Bežigrad District again and then head back south to the city centre to finish at Congress Square.[11]

Other races

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Teenagers running on Slovenia Street [sl] in front of Hotel Slon [sl], 2013

In addition to the marathon, a half marathon (21.098 km (13.110 mi)), a 10K run, a fun run (3.150 km (1.957 mi)), and a free run for kids (200 m (660 ft)) are organised.[12][13][14] A number of races of different lengths for schoolchildren of different ages are also held.[12]

Winners

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Start line of 20th edition in 2015
 
Finish line in 2015
 
The 11th Ljubljana Marathon
 
Total participants in all races

Key:    Course record

Year Men's winner Time[d] Women's winner Time[d] Rf.
2024   Getaneh Molla (ETH) 2:06:29   Joyce Chepkemoi Tele (KEN) 2:20:17 [15]
2023   Edmond Kipngetich (KEN) 2:06:47   Gerado Senbeta Zinash (ETH) 2:21:05
2022   Gebretsadik Abraha (ETH) 2:06:09   Dagne Siranesh Yirga (ETH) 2:21:08 [16]
2021   Ernest Tarus (KEN) 2:22:39   Grace Momanyi (KEN) 2:38:10
2020 postponed due to coronavirus pandemic [4]
2019   Kelkile Gezahegn (ETH) 2:07:29   Bornes Chepkirui (KEN) 2:21:26
2018   Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:58   Visiline Jepkesho (KEN) 2:22:58
2017   Marius Kimutai (BHR) 2:08:33   Shuko Genemo (ETH) 2:27:02
2016   Laban Mutai (KEN) 2:09:16   Purity Changwony (KEN) 2:29:32| [e]
2015   Limenih Getachew (ETH) 2:08:19   Melkam Gizaw (ETH) 2:25:42
2014   Ishhimael Chemtan (KEN) 2:08:25   Janet Rono (KEN) 2:29:16
2013   Mulugeta Wami (ETH) 2:10:26   Caroline Chepkwony (KEN) 2:27:27 [18]
2012   Berhanu Shiferaw (ETH) 2:09:40   Workenesh Tola (ETH) 2:30:45
2011   Daniel Too (KEN) 2:08:25   Lydia Kurgat (KEN) 2:33:01 [19][20]
2010   Evans Ruto (KEN) 2:10:17   Tiruwork Mekonnen (ETH) 2:37:16
2009   William Biama (KEN) 2:10:12   Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:25:24
2008   Abraham Mulu (ETH) 2:14:41   Tetyana Mezentseva (UKR) 2:37:13
2007   Oleksandr Sitkovskyy (UKR) 2:12:49   Tetyana Filonyuk (UKR) 2:34:58
2006   Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI) 2:14:14   Inga Juodeškiene (LTU) 3:01:55
2005   Samuel Nganga (KEN) 2:15:47   Daneja Grandovec (SLO) 2:50:42
2004   Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI) 2:13:31   Yelena Razdrogina (RUS) 2:46:30
2003   Andriy Naumov (UKR) 2:13:58   Galina Zhulyeva (UKR) 2:38:13
2002   Andriy Naumov (UKR) 2:14:30   Galina Zhulyeva (UKR) 2:39:36
2001   Roman Kejžar (SLO) 2:22:57   Nada Rotovnik-Kozjek (SLO) 3:09:47
2000   Patrick Chumba (KEN) 2:13:35   Maria Luisa Costetti (ITA) 3:08:38
1999   Woliye Jara (ETH) 2:20:53   Lyudmila Petrova (RUS) 2:52:25
1998   Piotr Pobłocki (POL) 2:18:20   Helena Javornik (SLO) 2:32:33
1997   Charles Subano (KEN) 2:19:28   Helena Javornik (SLO) 2:40:05
1996   Roman Kejžar (SLO) 2:20:12   Helena Javornik (SLO) 2:37:58

Statistics

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Note: Marathon statistics only

Multiple wins

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Winners by country

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Country Men's race Women's race Total
  Kenya 11 7 18
  Ethiopia 7 6 13
  Ukraine 3 4 7
  Slovenia 2 5 7
  Russia 0 2 2
  Burundi 2 0 2
  Poland 1 0 1
  Lithuania 0 1 1
  Italy 0 1 1

Notes

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  1. ^ This race has been referred to in English as the "Marathon on the Streets of Ljubljana".[5]
  2. ^ The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) does not allow organized events to exceed 500 participants, and there would be about 50 organizers present during the race.[6]
  3. ^ A separate registration process for the Maraton po Ljubljani was scheduled to open on 1 October at 10:25.[4] In addition, this race would not be considered a Ljubljana Marathon so that the 25th Ljubljana Marathon would not be celebrated in 2020.[7]
  4. ^ a b h:m:s
  5. ^ Levy Matebo Omari would finish 1st with a course record (unofficial 2:07:40) but was misled by an official TV-car at 40 km and had to run an extra distance of around 450 m [17]

References

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  1. ^ "Ljubljana Marathon".
  2. ^ "History".
  3. ^ "Participation".
  4. ^ a b c d "Volkswagen 25. Ljubljanski maraton se prestavi v leto 2021, vseeno pa bomo v Ljubljani tekli! | Novice | Volkswagen Ljubljanski maraton".
  5. ^ a b "The Volkswagen 25th Ljubljana Marathon is POSTPONED to 2021, but we will still be running in Ljubljana | News | Volkswagen Ljubljana marathon".
  6. ^ "Maraton po Ljubljani bo, a z le 450 tekmovalci".
  7. ^ a b "Ljubljanskega maratona ne bo, bo pa maraton po Ljubljani".
  8. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20201017004314/https://vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si/en/news/cacneled
  9. ^ "Next Weekend's Ljubljana Marathon 2020 Called off".
  10. ^ "Volkswagen 20. Ljubljanski maraton". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Refreshment and water stations | News | Volkswagen Ljubljanski maraton". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 12 September 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Volkswagen Ljubljanski maraton". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Fun run | Volkswagen Ljubljana marathon". Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  14. ^ "Lumpi run | Volkswagen Ljubljana marathon". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19.
  15. ^ "Kenijka Chepkemoi Tele z rekordom proge zmagala na 42 km". dnevnik.si.
  16. ^ "Timing Ljubljana". VW 26. Ljubljanski maraton 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Ljubljanski maraton: Tretjeuvrščenemu višja nagrada kot zmagovalcu". rtvslo.si. Rtv SLO. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Chepkwony beats the breeze in Ljubljana". IAAF. 27 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  19. ^ "Ljubljanski Maraton". www.timingljubljana.si. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Ljubljanski Maraton". www.timingljubljana.si. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
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