Ethiopians dominate 30th Prague marathon

Defending his title, last year’s winner Lemi Berhanu Hayle once again triumphed in the race that started and finished at Prague’s Old Town Square. In the women’s race, his compatriot Bertukan Welde Sura claimed the overall victory. Conditions were fairly favorable for running on Sunday morning, with air temperatures around 15°C (59°F), although runners faced strong headwinds in certain sections of the course.

Lemi Berhanu Hayle broke away from his leading group about two-thirds into the race and crossed the finish line in 2:05:14, the second-fastest time in Prague Marathon history—just five seconds shy of the course record. “I’m very happy to win here for the second time. The wind was a bit of a challenge in some areas, but I tried to keep an optimal course,” said Hayle. Felix Kipkoech of Kenya came second, and Japan’s Tetsuya Yoroizaka placed third. The bronze medalist in the Asian Championships in 3000 and 10,000 meters managed to finish a full marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes for the fourth time in his career.

The turning point in the women’s race came just ahead of the 30-kilometer mark, with a crucial breakaway. Bertukan Welde Sura, who ran much of the course alongside some of the top Czech male runners, won with a time of 2:20:55, improving her personal best by 59 seconds. Second and third place went to Kenyan stars: Evaline Chirchir was second, followed by Pascalia Chepkogei in third.

The ORLEN Prague Marathon also hosted the Czech National Marathon Championship. Yann Havlena, 24, claimed his first national title in 2:21:12, narrowly edging out Vít Pavlišta, who earned his 38th national medal. Last year’s champion, Martin Edlman, took bronze.

In the women’s race, two-time Olympian Tereza Hrochová dominated and win her first national championship marathon title in 2:34:04, finishing over eight minutes ahead of the field and placing seventh overall. Petra Pastorová secured silver, while Eva Filipiová took bronze.

The Prague Marathon also attracts personalities from other sports disciplines. Two-time Wimbledon doubles champion Barbora Strýcová completed the entire race despite a knee injury, and in her marathon debut, she recorded an impressive time of 3 hours and 18 minutes. Among the over 10,000 participants, six veteran runners maintained their perfect attendance record, having completed every edition of the Prague Marathon. The event also featured the traditional Junior Marathon, a long-standing part of the RunCzech series, with 25 high school teams competing in the final in Prague. Once again, the ORLEN Prague Marathon held the prestigious “Elite Label” from World Athletics. The Prague Marathon weekend hosted over 13,000 participants across all its events.