Zagreb Ready for the 34th Zagreb Powerade Marathon and World Masters Marathon Championships

Zagreb is gearing up for another celebration of running: the 34th Zagreb Powerade Marathon will take place on Sunday, 11 October. This year, Zagreb will also host the World Masters Marathon Championships. The masters category includes male and female runners over the age of 35 who are members of their national masters athletics organisations. More than 5,000 runners from 70 countries will gather in the Croatian capital for this year’s edition of the city’s biggest running event, according to the organisers, the Zagreb Athletics Association.

The start and finish of all races will traditionally be at Ban Josip Jelačić Square, with the programme beginning at 7:45 a.m. The Garmin 10K race starts at 8:45 a.m., followed by the marathon, half marathon and relay at 9:00 a.m. The first marathon runners are expected to cross the finish line at around 11:15 a.m., with the last runner expected to finish at 2:00 p.m. The awards ceremonies will take place between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The day before the main races, the course will belong to the youngest runners, who will have the opportunity to take part in children’s races ranging from 50 to 600 metres.

Last year’s Zagreb Marathon winners were Ruth Nundu Mbatha and Cosmas Kigen. The course records are held by the 2017 winners: Stellah Jepngetich Barosio, who completed the 42-kilometre race in 2:30:15, and Wycliffe Kipkorir Biwo, with a time of 2:09:55.

“The 34th Zagreb Marathon is ahead of us, and I believe we will once again see just how much this event means to Zagreb and its sporting community. Thousands of runners on the city streets, a strong international field and the atmosphere along the course are the best proof that the Zagreb Marathon has become a recognised sporting event with an established place on the international running calendar,” said Prof. Marko Jakopović, PhD, President of the Zagreb Athletics Association and Vice-President of the Zagreb Sports Association.

What makes this year’s Zagreb Marathon particularly special is that masters athletes from numerous countries will compete for world championship titles on the same course as recreational and professional runners. Their results will be assessed across age categories, with medals awarded in both individual and team competitions. The World Masters Marathon Championships are among the most important international competitions for masters athletes and are organised by World Masters Athletics, an international organisation that has been developing and organising masters athletics competitions for more than 35 years. Ivan Pukšar, President of the Croatian Masters Athletics Association and Europe’s representative on the WMA Organising Committee, said:

“We are extremely proud that Zagreb has met all WMA requirements and become the host of the World Marathon Championships. We hope to welcome between 700 and 1,000 of the world’s leading female and male marathon runners over the age of 35, including more than 100 Croatian competitors, who have strong prospects of winning medals in both individual and team events.”

For more than three decades, the Zagreb Marathon has upheld a tradition of long-distance running. Looking back at its beginnings, the organisers could not hide their pride: the first marathon attracted only around 70 runners, but over the years Zagreb has earned its place on the world running map.

“Every major international sporting competition is an opportunity for Zagreb to demonstrate that it is not only a city of sport, but also a city capable of welcoming thousands of participants and visitors. Such events fill sports venues and city streets, as well as hotels, restaurants and other facilities. Investing in sporting competitions therefore matters not only for the development of sport, but also for Zagreb’s international promotion and the growth of sports tourism,” said Vjekoslav Šafranić, President of the Zagreb Sports Association.

Another new feature this year will allow runners to have their names and finishing times engraved on their medals on site after completing the race, creating a lifelong keepsake.

The organisers promise an exceptional running event in Zagreb and invite residents to cheer on the runners at one of the many spectator points along the course.