The EuroHeroes running series is in full swing across regional capitals in the Czech Republic. After Saturday’s Mattoni Half Marathon České Budějovice, some athletes have now completed the two races needed to qualify for the overall standings. Among the men, Belgium’s Lahsene Bouchikhi currently holds the highest points total, while Hungary’s Nóra Szabó leads the women’s rankings.
So far, eight male athletes have completed two half marathons from the elite field. Lahsene Bouchikhi leads the standings with a third-place finish in Karlovy Vary and seventh place in České Budějovice. Both individual race winners – Czech Damián Vích and Dutch Khalid Choukoud – have only scored points from one race so far, but are expected to make a strong comeback in the second half of the series. Notably, they earned the highest single-race scores: Vích picked up 1016 points in Karlovy Vary, while Choukoud earned 1026 in České Budějovice.
The women’s competition is a bit less clear after two races. Despite finishing third in České Budějovice, Karlovy Vary winner Nóra Szabó remains in the lead. The Hungarian national champion is in a strong position in the EuroHeroes series, having delivered the best performance so far – 1:11:00 in Karlovy Vary. Close behind, just 11 points back, is her Spanish rival Meritxell Soler. For context: according to World Athletics’ half marathon scoring tables, an 11-point difference translates to just 24 seconds on the course.
The overall EuroHeroes classification is determined by a runner’s two best performances, converted to points based on official scoring tables. The highest total determines the men’s and women’s winners for the 2025 season. For example, the “magical” world-class time of 60 minutes for a men’s half marathon scores 1186 points. In the women’s category, a 70-minute time is worth 1130 points. As for world records: the men’s half marathon record of 56:42 earns 1323 points, while the women’s record (set in a mixed race) of 1:02:52 translates to 1281 points.
Many of the athletes competing in EuroHeroes also showcased their talents at this year’s European Running Championships in Belgium. Among them were Meritxell Soler who finished 4th (ESP, 1:11:39), Mariia Mazurenko 5th (UKR, 1:11:51), Olga Nyzhnyk 8th (UKR, 1:12:45), Jacelyn Gruppen 21st (NED, 1:14:51), and Gáspár Csere 32nd (HUN, 1:06:29)—further affirming the high level of competition in the EuroHeroes series. All of them, except for Csere, are also confirmed to appear in the next stage of the EuroHeroes series in Olomouc, setting the stage for an exciting showdown among Europe’s elite.
The EuroHeroes project launched with a pilot edition of two races in 2018. The following year marked its full debut in the format we know today. EuroHeroes is a RunCzech initiative, supported by European Athletics, aimed at identifying, promoting, and developing European running talent while also inspiring the general public to get active. The elite fields in these races are exclusively limited to European athletes.
In the 2025 season, EuroHeroes continues to cover the Czech Republic, giving participants the opportunity to experience the charm and atmosphere of uniquely attractive cities. After half marathons in Karlovy Vary and České Budějovice, the series moves on to Olomouc (June 14) and concludes in Ústí nad Labem on September 20. All EuroHeroes races have again received the prestigious “World Athletics Road Race Label.” So far, 49 athletes from 13 European countries have taken part in the two half marathons held.
EuroHeroes Standings After 2 Races
MEN
- Lahsene Bouchikhi (BEL) – 1842 points (972 + 870)
- Mykola Mevsha (UKR) – 1807 (965 + 842)
- Paulos Surafel (GBR) – 1806 (945 + 861)
- Stefan Iulius Gavril (ROM) – 1799 (903 + 896)
- Jiří Homoláč (CZE) – 1717 (876 + 841)
Top Athletes with 1 Result
- Khalid Choukoud (NED) – 1026
- Damián Vích (CZE) – 1016
- Bohdan Ivan Horodyskyi (UKR) – 1003
- Paavo De Leng (NED) – 981
- Patrik Vebr (CZE) – 940
- Josh Lunn (GBR) – 922
- Gáspár Csere (HUN) – 903
WOMEN
- Nóra Szabó (HUN) – 2183 (1109 + 1074)
- Meritxell Soler (ESP) – 2172 (1093 + 1079)
- Danka Truksová (CZE) – 1754 (881 + 873
Top Athletes with 1 Result
- Mariia Mazurenko (UKR) – 1084
- Viktoriia Kaliuzhna (UKR) – 1067
- Jacelyn Gruppen (NED) – 1050
- Izabela Paskiewicz (POL) – 1040
- Natasha Wilson (GBR) – 1038
- Olga Nyzhnyk (UKR) – 1004
- Maryna Nemchenko (UKR) – 963
- Eva Filipiová (CZE) – 916
