Ljubljana Marathon

Ljubljana Marathon
The Ljubljana Marathon Logo
Date Last Sunday in October
Location Ljubljana, Slovenia
Event type Road
Distance Marathon
Primary sponsor Volkswagen
Established 1996
Course records Men's: 2:04:58 (2018)
Sisay Lemma
Women's: 2:21:05 (2023)
Gerado Senbeta Zinash
Official site Ljubljana Marathon
Participants 1,208 finishers (2022)
644 (2021)
1,517 (2019)
1,664 (2018)
Running on Vienna Street under a railway bridge near Ljubljana station about one kilometre into the race, 2015

The Ljubljana Marathon (Slovene: Ljubljanski maraton) is a marathon organised in Ljubljana by the City Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL). It has been taking place since 1996 and attracts several thousand people each year.

History

The marathon was first held on 27 October 1996. A total of 673 runners participated in the inaugural event, with 153 runners taking part in the marathon.

In 2020, the 25th Ljubljana Marathon was postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to 2021 or obtaining a full refund. However, the marathon organizers were also planning to hold another marathon that was compliant with coronavirus restrictions, called the "Maraton po Ljubljani", on the originally scheduled date of 25 October 2020, with only up to 450 runners allowed to take part. Nine days before the scheduled date, the Maraton po Ljubljani was cancelled due to the second wave of the pandemic, with all registrants automatically receiving refunds.

Course

External images
image icon Course map of full marathon in 2015
image icon Course map of full marathon in 2019
Profile of full marathon in 2015

The marathon runs on roughly a loop course that begins on Slovenia Street near the national theatre and ends about a block away in Congress Square.

Runners first run north along Slovenia Street into the Bežigrad District before heading west into the Šiška and Dravlje Districts. The course then heads south into the Rožnik District, running west of Rožnik Hill, before heading back toward the city centre for the halfway point.

The marathon then briefly heads southwest into the Vič District before heading east through the Trnovo and Rudnik Districts. Runners then head back northwest to the Ljubljanica river, roughly following the river northeast until they cross Zalog Street. The course then enters the Jarše District by running northwest along Kajuh Street before the marathoners enter the Bežigrad District again and then head back south to the city centre to finish at Congress Square.

Other races

Teenagers running on Slovenia Street in front of Hotel Slon, 2013

In addition to the marathon, a half marathon (21.098 km (13.110 mi)), a 10K run, a fun run (3.150 km (1.957 mi)), and a free run for kids (200 m (660 ft)) are organised. A number of races of different lengths for schoolchildren of different ages are also held.

Winners

Start line of 20th edition in 2015
Finish line in 2015
The 11th Ljubljana Marathon
Total participants in all races

Key:    Course record

Year Men's winner Time Women's winner Time Rf.
2023 Kipngetich Edmond (KEN) 2:06:47 Gerado Senbeta Zinash (ETH) 2:21:05
2022 Gebretsadik Abraha (ETH) 2:06:09 Dagne Siranesh Yirga (ETH) 2:21:08
2021 Ernest Tarus (KEN) 2:22:39 Grace Momanyi (KEN) 2:38:10
2020 postponed due to coronavirus pandemic
2019 Kelkile Gezahegn (ETH) 2:07:29 Bornes Chepkirui (KEN) 2:21:26
2018 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:58 Visiline Jepkesho (KEN) 2:22:58
2017 Marius Kimutai (BHR) 2:08:33 Shuko Genemo (ETH) 2:27:02
2016 Laban Mutai (KEN) 2:09:16 Purity Changwony (KEN) 2:29:32|
2015 Limenih Getachew (ETH) 2:08:19 Melkam Gizaw (ETH) 2:25:42
2014 Ishhimael Chemtan (KEN) 2:08:25 Janet Rono (KEN) 2:29:16
2013 Mulugeta Wami (ETH) 2:10:26 Caroline Chepkwony (KEN) 2:27:27
2012 Berhanu Shiferaw (ETH) 2:09:40 Workenesh Tola (ETH) 2:30:45
2011 Daniel Too (KEN) 2:08:25 Lydia Kurgat (KEN) 2:33:01
2010 Evans Ruto (KEN) 2:10:17 Tiruwork Mekonnen (ETH) 2:37:16
2009 William Biama (KEN) 2:10:12 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:25:24
2008 Abraham Mulu (ETH) 2:14:41 Tetyana Mezentseva (UKR) 2:37:13
2007 Oleksandr Sitkovskyy (UKR) 2:12:49 Tetyana Filonyuk (UKR) 2:34:58
2006 Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI) 2:14:14 Inga Juodeškiene (LTU) 3:01:55
2005 Samuel Nganga (KEN) 2:15:47 Daneja Grandovec (SLO) 2:50:42
2004 Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI) 2:13:31 Yelena Razdrogina (RUS) 2:46:30
2003 Andriy Naumov (UKR) 2:13:58 Galina Zhulyeva (UKR) 2:38:13
2002 Andriy Naumov (UKR) 2:14:30 Galina Zhulyeva (UKR) 2:39:36
2001 Roman Kejžar (SLO) 2:22:57 Nada Rotovnik-Kozjek (SLO) 3:09:47
2000 Patrick Chumba (KEN) 2:13:35 Maria Luisa Costetti (ITA) 3:08:38
1999 Woliye Jara (ETH) 2:20:53 Lyudmila Petrova (RUS) 2:52:25
1998 Piotr Pobłocki (POL) 2:18:20 Helena Javornik (SLO) 2:32:33
1997 Charles Subano (KEN) 2:19:28 Helena Javornik (SLO) 2:40:05
1996 Roman Kejžar (SLO) 2:20:12 Helena Javornik (SLO) 2:37:58

Statistics

Note: Marathon statistics only

Multiple wins

Winners by country

Country Men's race Women's race Total
Kenya 11 7 18
Ethiopia 7 6 13
Ukraine 3 4 7
Slovenia 2 5 7
Russia 0 2 2
Burundi 2 0 2
Poland 1 0 1
Lithuania 0 1 1
Italy 0 1 1