The 39th Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon took place on Sunday, marking the largest half marathon event in Hungary since the COVID-19 pandemic.

With around 13,500 participants, the event symbolized a strong rebound in runner participation and the revival of sports tourism in the country.

This year’s race drew a significant international crowd, with runners from nearly 100 countries and regions, highlighting Budapest’s growing appeal as a destination for amateur runners worldwide.

The main event featured a 21.1 km race with 8,500 registrants, making it the largest half marathon in Hungary post-pandemic. Alongside the main race, over 4,000 participants joined other distances, including the Kometa Paros relay for two-person teams and the Xylem Trio relay for three-person teams. For those seeking shorter challenges, the 10km Szimpatika race and the 2.3km Wizz Air Lagymanyos loop provided additional options.

“We were thrilled to see the Hungarian running community emerge stronger than ever from the difficultie
s caused by the pandemic,” said Arpad Kocsis, CEO of the Budapest Sport Office.

Levente Szemerei of Hungary claimed victory in the men’s category, crossing the finish line with a time of 1:03:25. He was followed by fellow Hungarian Adam Lomb in second place, and Kenya’s Kennedy Kipkemoi in third.

In the women’s race, Nora Szabo of Hungary took first place with a time of 1:12:08, while Glorius Jepkirui of Hungary and Britain’s Ciara Boyd-Squires Long rounded out the podium. Enditem

Source: The Namibia News Agency