The Peace Marathon, held since 1924 in Kosice, Slovakia, is the oldest annual marathon in Europe and the third-oldest in the world. The marathon takes place each year on the first October Sunday (this year’s fell on 4 October).
The course consists of two practically identical circuits with the Start and Finish in front of the Hotel Doubletree by Hilton. The course is flat, completely asphalted and traffic free, leads mainly in the historic city centre and partly through the Anicka Park, where I took all my images.
In nearly ideal weather (14 degrees at the start and 16 at the finish with no wind) and with a great help of sub runner Evans Ruto, as a pacemaker, the marathon record nearly fell. The 29 years old Kenyan Samuel Kosgei improved his pace in the last five kilometres and at the finish he was clocked at 2:07:07. He missed the course record (2:07:01) of Lawrence Kimaiyo from 2012 by only six seconds.
The 92nd Peace Marathon also marked a new record of participants, more than 11 000 in all races, and from 49 countries.
Category: Projects