The 30th anniversary edition of the ORLEN Prague Marathon was dominated by Ethiopian long-distance runners in both elite categories. Last year’s winner, Lemi Berhanu Hayle, successfully defended his title in the race that started and finished at Old Town Square. defend his title, while the women’s race was won by his compatriot, Bertukan Welde Sura.
Lemi Berhanu Hayle broke away from the last of his competitors around the two-thirds mark and completed a solo run to the finish line with an impressive time of 2:05:14 — just five seconds shy of the race record. Kenyan runner Felix Kipkoech finished second, followed by Japan’s Tetsuya Yoroizaka in third.
The decisive move in the women’s race came just before the 30-kilometer mark. Bertukan Welde Sura, who ran a significant portion of the course alongside some of the top Czech athletes, claimed victory with a (provisional) time of 2:20:55.
Yann Havlena was crowned Czech national marathon champion for the first time in his career. Silver went to Vít Pavlišta, who earned his 38th medal from national championships. Tereza Hrochová was the best Czech with 2:34:04.
More information coming soon.
