The Mattoni Half Marathon České Budějovice 2025 featured solo finishes in both men and women categories. The overall winner was Dutch long-distance runner Khalid Choukoud, who triumphed with the sixth-fastest European performance in the race’s history, clocking 1:04:08. “I felt really good out there, I’m happy with the victory, and the weather wasn’t as hot as I expected,” said the 38-year-old at the finish line. The race once again carried the World Athletics Road Race Label, affirming its high international standard.
From the very first kilometer, Choukoud kept pace with the aggressive tempo set by German favorite Sebastian Hendel, a pace that only three other athletes could follow. The five-man lead pack gradually broke, with Choukoud initiating the first lead at the sixth kilometer. Together with experienced Ukrainian runner Bohdan Ivan Horodyskyi, they shook off defending champion Hendel before the halfway mark, setting up a head-to-head battle for the 13th edition title. The decisive move came at the 13th kilometer, where Choukoud broke away solo and maintained his lead through the final third of the race. His winning time of 1:04:08 now ranks sixth-fastest in the race’s history, just 66 seconds off the course record.
With patient and steady pacing, Patrik Vebr, the best Czech finisher, claimed a sensational third place overall. The current Czech half marathon champion arrived in South Bohemia in the midst of training for shorter track races and aimed only to be the fastest domestic athlete. However, his excellent form led to an amazing performance. He crossed the finish in 1:06:29, breaking the seven-year-old Czech race best by Vít Pavlišta by 14 seconds. “First of all, I have to say I’m glad the heat wasn’t as intense as forecasted, so I decided to start a bit conservatively,” said the RunCzech Racing Team member of his race strategy.
In the women’s race, the crucial moment came at the 16th kilometer, when Mariia Mazurenko broke away from a three-woman lead group. The experienced Ukrainian held on to her lead and emerged as a surprise winner. Her time of 1:12:16 put her 13 seconds ahead of Spain’s Meritxell Soler and placed her third on the all-time European rankings for the event, 50 seconds shy of the course record. “I never expected to win my first RunCzech race, especially since I had just competed in a tough 10,000-meter race,” Mazurenko revealed at the finish line. “After 15 kilometers, I started believing I had a chance, and it worked out. I liked the course and the organization.”
Third place went to Nóra Szabó of Hungary, winner of the Mattoni Half Marathon Karlovy Vary. With this result, she now leads the EuroHeroes series standings after two out of four races. The series continues with the Mattoni Half Marathon Olomouc on Saturday, June 14.
Among the race’s highlights was the participation of South Bohemian native and football legend Karel Poborský, a two-time UEFA Euro medalist and English Premier League champion with Manchester United. He completed the half marathon in just over 1 hour and 43 minutes.
The 13th edition of the Mattoni Running Festival České Budějovice also saw record participation. A total of 4,700 runners registered for the half marathon and Vodafone 5K, while an additional 2,400 participants joined the dm family mile and dm bambini run.
About EuroHeroes
Created in 2018 through a collaboration between RunCzech and European Athletics, EuroHeroes was launched to spotlight European distance runners and build excitement around road racing on the continent. The series includes four certified half marathons across the Czech Republic—Karlovy Vary, České Budějovice, Olomouc, and Ústí nad Labem—and is open exclusively to elite European athletes.
Athletes’ two best performances are scored using the World Athletics Scoring Tables, and the top male and female athletes are crowned champions at the season’s finale in Ústí nad Labem. For example, a time of 1:04:50 in the men’s half marathon or 1:16:31 in the women’s earns 1,000 points.
All races hold the World Athletics Road Race Label, a mark of quality and excellence in race organization and competition.
Results – Mattoni 1/2Marathon České Budějovice 2025:
MEN:
- Khalid Choukoud (NED) – 1:04:08
- Bohdan Ivan Horodyskyi (UKR) – 1:04:45
- Patrik Vebr (CZE) – 1:06:29
- Josh Lunn (GBR) – 1:06:59
- Gáspár Csere (HUN) – 1:07:32
WOMEN:
- Mariia Mazurenko (UKR) – 1:12:16
- Meritxell Soler (ESP) – 1:12:29
- Nóra Szabó (HUN) – 1:12:43
- Natasha Wilson (GBR) – 1:14:32
- Eva Filipiová (CZE) – 1:20:57
TOP CZECH MEN:
- Patrik Vebr – 1:06:29
- Jiří Homoláč – 1:09:19
- David Vaš – 1:11:09
- Tomáš Křivohlávek – 1:11:26
- Michal Burian – 1:11:40
TOP CZECH WOMEN:
- Eva Filipiová – 1:20:57
- Lucie Sekanová – 1:21:36
- Gabriela Veigertová – 1:22:39
- Danka Truksová – 1:23:18
- Eva Vyskočilová – 1:23:54
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
RESULTS MEN
RESULTS WOMEN
