The Košice Peace Marathon (Slovak: Medzinárodný maratón mieru) is an annual road

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

held in

Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

, since 1924. It is the oldest continuously running in the world, having been run every year since 1941. It is the oldest marathon in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and the third-oldest in the world (after the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

, first held in 1897, and the

Yonkers Marathon The Yonkers Marathon, is a marathon race held annually in Yonkers, New York. Founded in 1907, it is the second oldest marathon in the United States, after the Boston Marathon. It is held on the third Sunday in October. In addition to the marat ...

, first held in 1907). However, Boston and Yonkers have been continuous only since 2021. The marathon generally takes place each year on the first Sunday in October. The course is relatively flat and consists of two loops, mostly within the city center. The marathon is an AIMS-certified race. It is also categorized as a Silver Label Road Race by

World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

, and was certified as a 5-Star Quality Road Race by European Athletics Running for All in 2015.

History

The Košice Peace Marathon, first held in 1924, is the oldest marathon in Europe and the third oldest in the world. Inspired by the 1924 Paris Olympics, Košice sports enthusiast Vojtech ( born Braun) Bukovský organized the inaugural race, which began beneath the ruins of

Turňa Castle Turňa Castle (, ) is a castle in Turňa nad Bodvou, Košice Region, Slovakia. References Castles in Slovakia Buildings and structures in Košice Region {{slovakia-struct-stub ...

. The marathon quickly gained international prestige, attracting prominent athletes like 1931 winner Juan Carlos Zabala, who went on to win the 1932 Olympic marathon. Known for its adherence to the official marathon distance of 42.195km, even in its early years, the race has hosted numerous world-class runners and witnessed historic performances, including

Abebe Bikila ''Shambel'' Abebe Bikila (; August 7, 1932 – October 25, 1973) was an Ethiopian marathon runner who was a back-to-back Olympic marathon champion. He was the first Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist, winning his first gold medal at the 1960 S ...

's victory in 1961. The Košice Peace Marathon has endured through war and societal change, adapting its course and expanding to include women in 1980. In 2016, the marathon received IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status, and in 2018, it received

IAAF Silver Label Road Race World Athletics Label Road Races are races that World Athletics (until 2019: ''IAAF'') designates as the "leading road races around the world." The classification was first introduced for the 2008 running season, upon the suggestion of the IAAF R ...

status.

Course

The course is flat, completely asphalted and traffic free, two laps in the historic city center. The cumulative elevation gain is .

Winners

The course records are 2:21:08 for women (set by Rebecca Tanui in 2024) and 2:06:55 hours for men (set by Philemon Rono in 2023). Note: winners are listed below for five of the seven war years (1938–44), five war winners are listed at official homepage too, although the history provided by the Košice Peace Marathon states: ''"The Slovakian Marathon suffered a cleft seven years wide. To some extent this was patched up with five marathons organized under the Hungarian flag during the Horthy occupation of Košice – without a single foreign runner..."''Vojmaratony
Its status as the oldest marathon in Europe, and second-oldest in the world, remains undiminished by this break. Key: Course record (in bold)

Notes

References

;List of winners

Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...

(4 October 2011). Retrieved 23 October 2011.

External links

Official websiteSome history

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kosice Peace Marathon Recurring sporting events established in 1924 Marathons in Slovakia

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

Sports competitions in Czechoslovakia Athletics competitions in Slovakia Annual sporting events in Slovakia 1924 establishments in Slovakia Autumn in Czechoslovakia Autumn in Slovakia