Running News Daily

The European half marathon scene is set for an exciting new chapter as SuperHalfs prepares to expand its popular international running series with the introduction of a second six-race challenge, giving runners even more opportunities to explore Europe while pursuing an extraordinary endurance achievement.

Starting in 2027, the newly introduced SuperHalfs EUROPA will feature six prestigious half marathons across six different European countries: Naples (Italy), Warsaw (Poland), Belgrade (Serbia), Vienna (Austria), Riga (Latvia) and Stockholm (Sweden).

The expansion represents a significant development for the SuperHalfs movement, which has established itself as one of Europe's most attractive half marathon challenges, combining competitive road racing, international travel and the opportunity for runners to achieve a unique personal milestone.

The new EUROPA series will operate alongside the existing six-race challenge, which will officially be known as SuperHalfs ORIGINALS. The original lineup comprises Lisbon (Portugal), Prague (Czech Republic), Berlin (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Cardiff (Wales) and Valencia (Spain).

Rather than replacing the established series, the new initiative creates two independent challenges, each with its own dedicated SuperPassport and exclusive SuperMedal. Runners will therefore have the opportunity to complete either series or take on both challenges in pursuit of two separate medals.

One of the most appealing aspects of the expanded format is its flexibility. Participants can complete the six races in whichever order they prefer, without being restricted by a finishing deadline. This means runners can spread their challenges over several years, combining their passion for athletics with travel and exploration across the continent.

THE SUPERHALFS EUROPA 2027 RACE CALENDAR

The inaugural EUROPA campaign will begin in Naples on February 21 before moving through five more European destinations.

The confirmed calendar is as follows:

1. February 21, 2027 – Naples, Italy

2. March 14, 2027 – Warsaw, Poland

3. April 17, 2027 – Belgrade, Serbia

4. April 18, 2027 – Vienna, Austria

5. May 16, 2027 – Riga, Latvia

6. August 21, 2027 – Stockholm, Sweden

An interesting feature of the calendar is the scheduling of Belgrade and Vienna on consecutive days, April 17 and 18. This creates an unusual opportunity for ambitious runners to attempt two half marathons in two consecutive days, although the physical demands of such a challenge will require careful preparation and recovery.

The selected races also bring considerable running communities to the new series. Warsaw recorded 14,720 starters in its 2025 half marathon, establishing a national participation milestone. Vienna welcomed 13,181 finishers in its half marathon this spring, while Riga's wider race weekend attracted more than 45,000 participants across its various distances.

These figures underline the scale and popularity of the events joining the new challenge, providing runners with the opportunity to experience some of Europe's established road-running destinations.

The expansion is supported by global insurance company Generali and was officially unveiled during the European Athletics Convention, marking another important step in the development of the series.

However, runners planning to participate should take note of one important condition: previous race performances will not count towards the new EUROPA challenge. Every participant will begin their journey from zero when the series officially starts in 2027.

With six new destinations, six countries and another exclusive medal waiting at the finish line, SuperHalfs EUROPA promises to offer runners a fresh reason to travel, compete and challenge themselves.

For half marathon enthusiasts, the opportunity is now even bigger: six races to complete in the ORIGINALS series, another six in EUROPA, and potentially two SuperMedals to earn along the way. 

The Košice Peace Marathon returns to Paris after 100 years

The inspiring and authentic story of the founder of the Košice Peace Marathon (KPM), Vojtech Bukovsky, has captivated the world. In the venue of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Maison Slovaque – the Slovak Olympic House – hosted the ceremonial presentation of Europe’s oldest marathon.

Today in the Slovak Olympic House, the organisers of the KPM, representatives of the Marathon Club, the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee and the City of Košice presented the history of the race’s creation. The breathtakingly inspiring story of Vojtech Bukovsky was told through the premiere of a documentary film dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Košice Marathon.

Among the invited guests were Mr. Christophe Najdovski, Vice Mayor of the City of Paris, Ms. Kirsty Coventry, Member of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee and Minister of Sport of Zimbabwe, Mr. Dobromir Karamarinov, President of European Athletics, H.E. Ján Šoth, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to France, and Mr. Jean-Michel Brun, Member of the Executive Board of the European Olympic Committee and Vice President of the French Olympic Committee.

“Over the weekend we will learn the names of the new Olympic winners in the marathon. We will pay tribute to them in the same way as Vojtech Bukovsky, the founder of the marathon in Košice, did here in Paris on 13 July 1924, when he stood up at the Colombes stadium to greet the Finnish runner Albin Stenroos and all his rivals in the finish line. 100 years have passed since then. We watch today’s battles under the Eiffel Tower with enthusiasm and are filled with pride that we can stand here and tell the story of the centenary of the marathon in Košice to the whole world. It is a story filled with courage, friendship, perseverance and the desire for peace and comfort. Vojtech Bukovsky was enchanted by the Paris Olympics 100 years ago and by the ideas of Baron Pierre de Coubertin. He said, among other things, that the most important thing in life is not to win, but to compete. And these words of his fully capture one of the basic philosophies of the modern marathon today. Let’s stay true to it,” said Branislav Koniar, Race Director of the Košice Peace Marathon.

The metropolis of France and the Olympic ideals have a very special place in the birth certificate of the Košice Peace Marathon. The impulses leading to its creation are very stronglylinked to Paris, where, as today, the 1924 race was held under the five rings. The 30-year-old Vojtech Bukovský was also watching closely the competition that time. He came from Košice to experience this sporting event first-hand as a sports enthusiast, journalist and referee. When he applauded Albin Stenroos, the Finnish winner of the Olympic marathon, on 13 July, a dream was born in his mind, which he turned into reality just three months later.

“The Košice Peace Marathon marks an extraordinary milestone of its history. Inspired by the Olympic spirit of Paris 1924, it is a living example of the power of Olympic ideals to unite nations and celebrate peace through sport. At the Maison Slovaque, the Slovak Olympic House in Paris, we symbolically linked two historical moments. After 100 years, the story of one of the biggest and most important events in Slovak sport has once again returned to the city where the inspiration for its creation came from. Symbolically, it happened again at the time of the Olympic Games. This precious legacy reminds us that the Olympic Games are more than just a competition. They are an impulse that can inspire and change the world. We are proud at the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee that the dream of one man inspired by the Olympic marathon continues today, uniting endurance athletes from around the world in the name of peace and understanding," said Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee Secretary General, Jozef Liba.

The courage with which Vojtech Bukovský set about organising the marathon is still an amazing act also on a global scale. Despite the fact that this sporting adventure did not come easily, today the marathon enjoys prestige and an important position on the world athletics map. In Košice, the tradition has become an event with a society-wide impact, representing the city and its inhabitants in a unique way. “The marathon is always a special event for us. And we, the citizens of Košice, are happy that runners from all over the world come back to us. But it is not for the records or the financial bonuses. They come for the people of Košice and the unrepeatable atmosphere. I also feel the need to recall the message of the Olympics, which is ekecheiria – that is, peace to arms, because the message of the Kosice Marathon is exactly that – peace. It is the strongest value for all of us, even in these times,” adds the Mayor of the City of Košice, Jaroslav Polaček. The City of Košice is one of the most important partners of the KPM, and it participates not only financially and organizationally, but also technically and personally in the preparations of the biggest sporting event.

The presentation of the KPM in Paris is the best invitation to the anniversary edition of the event. In addition to the sporting feats of elite runners, the performances of “mortals”, amateur or weekend runners, who sign up in their thousands for the Košice marathon course, will also resonate. This community has always been the soul of the KPM. “Millions of runners from all continents constantly confirm us that sport and marathon can unite people of every religion, every skin colour, every nationality. The strength of this community is unparalleled. And it gives strength to us in Košice. Without it, we would certainly not have been able to overcome the most diverse obstacles for 100 years. Let us wish that tomorrow’s marathon mission here in Paris will be a success for everyone – both for the medal winners and for those who finish later. It will certainly be the same on 6 October 2024 in Košice. Come to see it, come to experience it. You will be cordially welcome,” – concludes Ján Sudzina, the President of the Košice Marathon Club.Part of this commemorative meeting was also the presentation of miniaturized replicas of the statue of the marathoner, which has been a landmark of the city and the marathon itself since 1962. They will go to Paris City Hall and also to the International Olympic Committee and Europaen Athletics represented at this ceremony by President Dobromir Karamanirov.

And of course, there was talk of the actual Olympic marathon, which will become a hugely watched event on Saturday, 10th August. In addition to the best marathon runners, more than 20,000 runners from all over the world will take to the track in a unique project that has so far been unprecedented at the Games under five rings. The starting field of hobby runners will include those from Slovakia. Three of them have accepted the invitation from the Marathon Club and will personally take part in the ceremony. They are Milan Šimoník, Lukáš Jáchym and Marián Vidra. From the hands of Branislav Koniar and Jan Sudzina they have received symbolic starting numbers, with which they will take part in tomorrow’s marathon in Paris. They carry the logo and the message of the mutual relationship between the two cities, which was born from the enthusiasm of Vojtech Bukovsky 100 years ago.

Let us also add that two legendary athletes were also present at the ceremony. Kipchoge Keino of Kenya became the first African to win Olympic gold in track and field in Mexico City in 1968 and defended his title four years later in Munich. His compatriot Tegla Loroupe competed in Košice in 1997 and won a gold medal at the World Half Marathon Championships held in the city. After winning the world’s biggest marathons and retiring from her career, she became a special UN ambassador with the aim of putting together repeatedly a team of athletes made up of refugees who have had to leave their country for war or humanitarian reasons. Such a team is also starting this time at the Games in Paris.

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you’re capable of. That’s for you to determine.”

For the last mile of the Antarctica Marathon, Jonathan Acott played one song on repeat. Trudging through snow and icy winds on the edge of the world, the runner from Surrey, United Kingdom, listened to Tim McGraw’s hit, “Live Like You Were Dying.” It was a fitting anthem for the six-time cancer survivor in his pursuit to run a marathon on all seven continents. 

With 500 yards remaining in the race, Acott took his headphones out. He wanted to be fully present for the homestretch of the seventh marathon. Running downhill toward a small tent with a timer next to the Russian research station, the 48-year-old made his way to the finish line area, where a group of volunteers and fellow competitors cheered him on. 

His legs sore from the descent, Acott took a moment to compose himself before stepping across the finish line, completing a challenge that seemed unimaginable five years ago. “The photographers are there and they say, ‘Put your arms up!’ But I don’t want to put my arms up. That’s not how I want to celebrate,” Acott said. “I needed to stop at that moment. There’ll be other mountains, but right now I just want to stop.”

Amid the devastation caused by multiple cancers and the arduous healing process that followed, Acott transformed his life, becoming a motivational speaker, coach, and avid runner intent on chasing epic goals. For Acott, becoming a member of the Seven Continents Club—645 men and 358 women who have completed 26.2 on all seven continents—is the latest example of the runner choosing to embrace every moment.

‘If I’m moving, I’m not dead.’ 

Acott’s cancer journey began 20 years ago. In 2004, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 29 years old. His first relapse occurred in 2007 when doctors discovered a tumor in his chest. He relapsed again in 2013 and 2016 and underwent back-to-back retroperitoneal lymph node dissections, a surgery to remove the lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen. In 2017, he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. The following year, doctors discovered he relapsed again. His final surgery in 2018 involved removing his kidney and spleen. The spleen ruptured during the procedure, which required an emergency blood transfusion on top of chemotherapy post-operation. 

In a span of 14 years, Acott underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy (he estimates about seven months total) and six surgeries that left his body riddled with lifelong side effects, including permanent nerve damage and hearing loss. The experience also took a heavy toll on his mental health. At his lowest, Acott suffered from suicidal ideation. Working with a psychiatrist helped him cope and reframe his perspective. 

“Life is unfair to everybody. This just happens to be it,” Acott said. “And I can do two things. I can sit there and wallow about how miserable life is, or I can accept that life is difficult and hard and challenging, and you can make the most of it.”

Since 2018, Acott has been cancer free. After the last bout of the disease, his doctors encouraged him to start walking in the recovery process. He also lost his job after being unable to work during treatment. Walking not only gave him time to process his emotions, it also gave him something to work towards. In a few months, Acott was walking up to three hours at a time. 

After spending months building up to long distances, Acott decided he wanted to be more efficient by running. “I push because if I’m moving, I’m not dead,” Acott said. “If I’m moving further each day, I am getting healthier.”

Because Acott is immunocompromised and his body takes longer to heal now, he trains every other day. He’s also battling pain most of the time from scars and neuropathy in his feet, among other ailments, and needs to run a conservative pace most of the time. “My body has been through a lot, but it’s still capable of doing so much," he said. 

Choosing to live in optimism

In the fall of 2019—15 months after his last surgery—Acott raced the Berlin Marathon as a way to celebrate his comeback. He finished his first 26.2 in 4:58:38. Shortly after, he set out to complete the seven continents challenge. 

“I chose to apply myself to making the most of my time because I don’t know how much time I have,” Acott said. “It’s a choice about how you live. You can live in fear, and I am always scared, or I can live in optimism that I’m going to have the best life I possibly can.”

The following year, he ran the Africa leg at the 2020 Marrakech Marathon in 4:45:48. In 2020, he also took up motivational speaking on top of his full-time job as the head of guest experience at a business complex. 

After COVID restrictions were lifted, he finished the 2022 Austin Marathon in 5:15:28. The same year, he completed the South America portion by finishing the Curaçao Marathon in 5:09:16, trudging through flood waters on the course. 

He ran the Asia leg with a 5:15:33 at the 2023 Dubai Marathon along a desert roadway. Last fall, he covered Australia at the 2023 Perth Marathon with a finishing time of 5:01:40. On March 21, he completed the Antarctica Marathon in 5:38:16. 

Looking back on the experience, Acott remembered his surgeon’s warning after the last procedure. The doctor told him he wouldn’t be able to complete the same physical feats he used to do before cancer. Less than two months after completing the global marathon challenge, he’s already training for his next goal—breaking four hours in the marathon. 

“Don’t let anyone tell you what you’re capable of,” Acott said. “That’s for you to determine. Find what the best version of you looks like, and make it happen.”

MORE FROM RUNNER'S WORLD ON APPLE NEWS

The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon will be back in action with strong elite fields this coming Sunday after a two-year-break. The men’s field shows nine athletes who have run under 2:10, led by the Ethiopian Getesfa Getahun whose personal best stands at 2:05:28.

Among the women, eight have broken 2:25 and the Kenyan Sally Kaptich is the fastest with a best of 2:21:09. The elite fields have also been boosted by the recruitment at short notice of the leading German runners Hendrik Pfeiffer, part of the successful national team at the European Championships, and Laura Hottenrott.

For the 39th edition of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon the organizers are expecting around 12,000 participants. Taking into account events held in conjunction, some 20,000 runners will be involved. This historic race is one of the Elite Label Road Race events, recognized by World Athletics, the governing body of international athletics. Information of how to enter Sunday’s race is available at: www.frankfurt-marathon.com

“After a break of two years, caused by the Corona pandemic, we’ve been able to put together strong elite fields and we’ll have a big, impressive field of mass runners on the start line. We’re looking forward to a Mainova Frankfurt Marathon which will continue the tradition of past events and again prove a big thrill for participants and spectators alike,” said the Race Director Jo Schindler.

Two young talents from Ethiopia might well produce outstanding results on Frankfurt’s fast course. The 24-year-old Betesfa Getahun ran his fastest time to-date of 2:05:28 on his marathon debut in Amsterdam in 2019. Gebru Redahgne is 22 and the second fastest on the Frankfurt starting lists with his time of 2:05:58 in Barcelona at the beginning of May. Both are keen to take the next step and move up in the marathon hierarchy.

Alongside them will be the Kenyan who has earned the title of “Mr Frankfurt”, Martin Kosgey. He has two second places to his credit from the race in 2016 and 2018 as well as finishing fourth in 2017 and two years later. As further proof of how much at home he feels on the Frankfurt course, he ran his best time of 2:06:41 here in 2018.

Hendrik Pfeiffer had originally planned to run the New York Marathon in November but the 29-year-old wanted to profit from his current excellent form and take to Frankfurt’s renowned flat, fast course, aiming to improve his personal best of 2:10:18. “I’m confident I could run a personal best and, of course, would love to break 2:10,” said Pfeiffer, who finished 24th at the European Championships in Munich in August and helped the German squad win a silver medal in the Europa Cup team event.

“I’m grateful to the organizers for enabling me to run in Frankfurt at short notice and want to put my form to good use on the road.”

Only once previously has the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon had more than eight women entered with personal bests of under 2:25 and that was in 2018 when ten athletes were on the start line. The strength in depth among the elite raises hopes for an exciting as well as high quality race. The Kenyan Sally Kaptich with a best of 2:21:09, Ethiopia’s Yeshi Chekole (2:21:17) and Kenya’s World Championship silver medalist from 2015, Helah Kiprop (2:21:27) are the fastest on paper.

While this trio is likely to be disputing top honors, Germany’s Laura Hottenrott will hope to take advantage of Frankfurt’s fast course where so many personal bests have been achieved, aiming to improve her time of 2:28:02.

Elite runners with personal bests:

Men:

Betesfa Getahun ETH 2:05:28

Gebru Redahgne ETH 2:05:58

Martin Kosgey KEN 2:06:41

Derseh Balew Yihunie ETH 2:07:22

Asefa Mengisa ETH 2:07:47

Charles Ndiema KEN 2:08:12

Brimin Misoi KEN 2:08:41

Deresa Ulfata ETH 2:08:42

Dominic Letting KEN 2:09:30

Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:10:18

Stephen Mugambi KEN 2:11:39

Justino da Silva BRA 2:13:31

Edson Arruda BRA 2:14:35

Justin Mahieu BEL 2:14:43

Filimon Abraham GER 

Linus Maruka KEN Debut

Ashenafi Gebru ETH Debut

Eyob Solomun ERI Debut

Merhawi Ghebreslasie FRA Debut

Women:

Sally Kaptich KEN 2:21:09

Yeshi Chekole ETH 2:21:17

Helah Kiprop KEN 2:21:27

Atalel Anmut ETH 2:22:21

Juliet Chekwel UGA 2:23:13

Jackline Chepngeno KEN 2:24:21

Serdana Trofimova KGZ 2:24:38

Zinash Lema ETH 2:24:55

Meseret Abebayehu ETH 2:25:18

Caroline Jepchirchir KEN 2:26:11

Laura Hottenrott GER 2:28:02

Gladys Chepkurui KEN 2:28:55

Martha Akeno KEN 2:29:00

Sofiya Yaremchuk ITA 2:29:12

Thea Heim GER 2:36:10

Sports federations have set precedents by banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition following the invasion of Ukraine and they must remain firm to keep them in place, Sebastian Coe said Monday.

Coe is a two-time Olympic champion runner from Britain who is now the president of World Athletics, the governing body of track and field. He spoke four days before the start of the world indoor championships. Both Russians and Belarusians have been excluded from that event, which will be held in Serbia.

“There’s not a single sports federation out there that naturally wants to exclude teams or individuals. That’s not something that we came into the sport for,” Coe said during a video conference call. “But I think we have to recognize that this is such a game changer. And, yes, it will set precedents.”

Athletes and teams from Russia and Belarus have been kicked out of dozens of sports since Russian forces invaded Ukraine last month, with some soldiers entering via Belarus. The biggest events to be immediately impacted by the decision to ban Russians and Belarusians include the upcoming track championships, the figure skating world championships and soccer.

The bans from soccer, which include the Russian national team from World Cup qualifying and Russian club Spartak Moscow from the Europa League competition, have been challenged by the Football Union of Russia. The first appeal rulings are expected this week from the Court of Arbitration for Sport — the highest sports court in the world.

“We absolutely accept that this will set precedents and those precedents will have to be faced individually and sequentially and they will be with us for years,” Coe said. “We haven’t made this easy on ourselves but it is still the right decision.

“You cannot have aggressor nations, where you have so altered the landscape for the integrity of competition being untouched, while the actions of their governments have so influenced the integrity of sport elsewhere.”

Russia’s opponent in the World Cup qualifying playoffs, Poland, has said it won’t play against the country on March 24. The two next possible opponents, the Czech Republic and Sweden, have said the same.

Track and field had previously been the hardest on Russians following the country’s state-sponsored doping scandal dating back to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Russians now have to be individually vetted in order to compete in international track events. The Russian track federation has been banned since 2015.

“I don’t have a problem with (banning Russians) because that’s what we’ve done in our sport. I don’t see why that should be different in any other sport if you’re making that judgement on the integrity of the sport,” Coe said. “Goodness me, in football, you’ve already seen teams that decided they’re not going to play in playoff rounds.

“The impact is across the board. So they are going to need to remain really firm on this and do exactly what we’ve done.”

Jonathan Bradnam is no stranger to physical and mental adversity. The 34-year-old elementary school teacher from Welland, Ont. has beaten cancer not once, but twice, and returned to running the day after receiving radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer. Since then, he has completed several marathons and is inspiring his students to get out and run, too. To celebrate the positive impact he’s had on his community, he was selected by TCS Canada to join five other teachers on Team TCS Teachers to run the New York Marathon on November 7th.

Bradnam ran off-and-on for several years but fell out of the habit when school, life and family commitments began to take over. In 2016, Bradnam was playing soccer when he noticed some discomfort. A visit to the doctor revealed that he had aggressive testicular cancer, and he had surgery the very next day. A follow-up scan one month later discovered that the cancer had spread into his abdomen, at which point he was sent to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for treatment. He underwent three rounds of chemotherapy, after which the doctors declared him cancer-free and he was able to return to normal life with his wife and two children.

Two years later, at one of his routine check-ups, the doctors noticed a tumor in his throat, which turned out to be thyroid cancer. Bradnam had surgery in June 2018 to remove the tumour, followed by radioactive iodine treatment to kill any remaining cancer cells. He decided to get back into running there and then, and the very next day, he laced up his shoes.

“I saw a poster for a local race and decided to see if I could get back into some form of fitness,” he says. “I wanted to see if I could get back under 20 minutes for 5K, which at that point, I thought was a pretty lofty goal.”

To his surprise, he accomplished that goal and began to gradually work his way up to longer distances. His first marathon was the 2020 That Dam Hill in London, Ont., where he won in an impressive 2:39:31, setting a new course record. This achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that for several months during cancer treatment, neuropathy in his feet made it difficult for Bradnam to walk, let alone run.

“When your health is kind of taken away from you, you realize what you’re able to do and you stop taking your health for granted,” says Bradnam.

Bradnam is now an ambassador for the Rankin Cancer Run, and shares story and his passion for running with his students. He organizes a running club at school where he routinely has around 70 students arrive 45 minutes before school starts to run laps around the field, during which time they talk about building healthy habits and the benefits of regular physical activity.

In less than two weeks’ time, Bradnam will be standing on the start line of the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon, alongside five other Canadian teachers as a part of Team TCS Teachers. He was the top Canadian finisher last year in the virtual New York Marathon, and although he’s dealt with a few more aches and pains throughout his training this year, he’s excited to test himself at the in-person race.

“I definitely channel some of the negative experiences that I’ve had health-wise,” says Bradnam. “I tell myself ‘you’re suffering now but you’ve suffered a lot more in the past’. The suffering is going to be temporary, and I channel that to do things that I might not be able to do otherwise.”

The London Marathon has been postponed to Oct 4 today as the coronavirus chaos escalates, sources say.

It comes after cases in the UK climbed to 798 this afternoon as the deadly bug continues to infect the nation.

Sources close to the London Marathon told The Sun the event was due to be called off this afternoon.

The expected confirmation will be a blow to athletes who have been training hard to hit the capital's streets next month.

It had already been feared the annual event, which draws in runners and spectators from all over the globe, would be affected as the outbreak worsened.

The 40th London Marathon was due to take place on April 26, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock already warning last week it could be restricted or cancelled.

Earlier today the Premier League also bowed to pressure and announced they are suspending the season for three weeks amid the coronavirus outbreak.

It comes with the football world in crisis as Uefa also announced ALL Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled for next week have been postponed.

Cities and towns across Britain appeared deserted at times today as people worked from home and avoided shops and transport links over concerns about the virus.