Broadcast in 106 Countries, Event Reaches Millions Across TV and Social Media
The 30th anniversary edition of the ORLEN Prague Marathon ranked as the fifth fastest marathon in Europe this year. Sunday’s race winner, Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu Hayle, increased his pace significantly in the final third of the course and delivered an impressive finish, crossing the line in 2:05:14—just five seconds shy of the course record. “I’m very happy to have defended my title here in Prague,” Lemi said at the finish line. Lemi is the first runner in the marathon’s 30-year history to win two years in a row.
Ethiopian athletes claimed both the men’s and women’s titles—just as they did last year. Bertukan Welde Sura won with a new personal best of 2:20:55, recording the third-fastest winning time in the women’s race in the marathon’s history. The event also showcased remarkable international diversity, with 112 nationalities represented and women making up a quarter of the participants. The Czech National Championship, held alongside the marathon, crowned new champions as Yann Havlena and Tereza Hrochová claimed the top of the podium for the first time.
The ORLEN Prague Marathon once again held the World Athletics “Elite Label” status. A total of 10,300 runners started the race from Old Town Square, including 250 high school students competing in the finals of the unique Junior Marathon team project. “These are satisfying numbers, but not surprising for us,” said Carlo Capalbo, the president of the RunCzech organizing committee, “We already saw at the Generali Prague Half Marathon in April that more and more people want to run with us.”
More than 3,500 additional participants took part in the Marathon Weekend’s accompanying events, starting Saturday morning with the “ORLEN Active Breakfast” training run in Letná Park. “About 650 runners participated—it was practically full, and the majority were from abroad,” added Capalbo. “It’s true that Czech society is still getting used to events like this. People need to realize they can chat with race pacers and professional coaches for free and enjoy a friendly atmosphere.”
A total of 3,729 runners of all ages took part in Saturday’s non-competitive Marathon Weekend events in Prague. In Stromovka Park, the increasingly popular dm family mile and dm bambini run took place. As tradition dictates, the Marathon EXPO was held at the Holešovice Exhibition Grounds, where race numbers were distributed and event partners were showcased, attracting in 20,000 visitors.
The growing popularity of the RunCzech series is highlighted by media engagement data. Even before the marathon day, over four million social media views were recorded on related content. The TV broadcast signal from the main race was sent to 106 countries, and the nearly three-hour-long coverage on Czech Television’s CT sport was watched by 77,000 sports fans, with a total reach of 209,000 viewers. Additionally, the English-commentated livestream attracted another 37,000 viewers.
An event as massive as the ORLEN Prague Marathon naturally had thorough medical support. A special GOLEM medical truck was stationed at Old Town Square, medical tents were set up at Můstek and Ovocný trh, and six emergency medical vehicles were strategically positioned along the course. “In addition to regular operations, forty medical personnel were deployed,” noted Jana Poštová, spokesperson for Prague’s emergency medical services. “A total of 63 people were treated, with 11 transported to hospital. Most injuries were minor and related to physical exertion.” That means medical treatment was required by just over half a percent of runners.
The RunCzech series now moves on to regional races. The next event will be the Mattoni Running Festival in Karlovy Vary on May 17, featuring a signature evening half marathon.
Iconic Photo from the Prague Marathon
ORLEN Prague Marathon 2025
Founder of the Prague Marathon, Carlo Capalbo, welcomes a marathon runner at the finish line
