The largest running event in Central Europe features 17,000 runners this weekend with Natasha Wilson leading the British charge on Saturday.
The maximum capacity of 17,000 runners for the Generali Prague Half Marathon was sold out just 2 hours and 23 minutes after registration opened, with interest in the iconic event being approximately six times higher.
“A thousand more participants than last year will run through our beautiful city and many will break their personal records and push their limits,” said Carlo Capalbo, chair of the RunCzech organizing committee.
One of the most popular half marathons on the planet has long boasted the World Athletics Elite Label Road Races quality mark. The Prague race also belongs to the six elite European half marathons that form the SuperHalfs series.
Historic athletics performances are common at the Generali Prague Half Marathon. When the Czech capital announced on April 1, 2017, that the 65-minute barrier in the women’s category had been broken for the first time in history, it was no April Fool’s joke. Kenyan Joyceline Jepkosgei ran a record time of 1:04:51.
Three years later, another world record fell in Prague. During the Covid era, with a specialised start format, Kenyan star Peres Jepchirchir set the world’s best performance (1:05:34) in an all-women’s race.
The 26th edition of the Generali Prague Half Marathon features a strong field. In the men’s category, six endurance runners with personal bests under the “magic” one-hour mark will compete. Among the favorites, defending champion Rodrigue Kwizera stands out, having triumphed in Prague a year ago with a Burundi national record of 58:54. He has since improved his time to 58:38, just 14 seconds shy of the event record held by Sabastian Sawe. Another favorite capable of running under 59 minutes is Ethiopian Tadese Worku Gebresilase.
“The competition will be amazing and the atmosphere will be truly great,” commented Jan Friš, the top-ranked Czech runner on the start list. “My goal is to push my time from Naples ($1:05:22$) even lower. I believe Prague is the ideal place for that.” Other domestic stars include 14-time Czech champion Jiří Homoláč and mountain running champion Matěj Zima. Running icons Vít Pavlišta and Patrik Vebr will serve as pacemakers for the women’s race.
The primary contenders for victory at the Generali Prague Half Marathon will be two Kenyans. Jesca Chelangat will start with the best personal record, having completed a half marathon in Valencia two years ago with a time of 1:06:13. Caroline Makanti Gitonga, the third-ranked woman in the world standings for the 10 km road race, trails her by only 13 seconds. She surged to this high position following a sensational triumph in Castellón, Spain, with a time of 29:34.
Natasha Wilson (née Cockram), a 2:24:21 marathoner, leads the British entries with just over 2100 Brits expected to make the journey to Prague for the event.
From the Czech elite, Tereza Hrochová is heading to Prague. The participant of two Olympic marathons ranks fourth in the all-time Czech standings with a time of 1:11:38. It is precisely this personal record from the season before last that she intends to attack in Prague.
Generali Prague Half Marathon will start on Saturday, March 28, at 10am local tim from the main entrance of the Holešovice Market (Holešovická tržnice).