PRAHA, Czech Republic — Results from the Volkswagen Prague Marathon 2022 which took place on a very active weekend of road racing on Sunday (8). The event is part of the 2022 World Athletics Label Road Races – Elite series and were saw some very good performances despite the less then favorable endurance running conditions in the Czech Republic.
Norbert Kigen of Kenya won the men’s race with a time of 2:07:54 and although he wasn’t able to challenge his personal best of 2:05:13, set in Amsterdam in 2017, the 29-year-old was delighted to improve on his third place finish from 2021 when he clocked 2:10:27.
Kelkile Gezahegn of Ethiopia crossed the finish line in second place in 2:08:30, while his fellow countryman Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun followed home in third place at a time of 2:08:44, improving on his eighth-place finish from last year when he clocked 2:11:58.
A pair of Kenyan runners, Edwin Kosgei and Ronald Korir completed the top five finishers with respective times of 2:08:58 and 2:09:52. Read more: FINAL-USATF Half-Marathon Championships 2022 results; Sisson, Korir on top
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Bekelech Gudeta Borecha of Ethiopia broke the tape at a very impressive 2:22:56 to take more than one minute off her previous personal best in her fourth ever marathon start.
The 24-year-old entered the Volkswagen Prague Marathon 2022 race with a lifetime best of 2:24:51, set in Barcelona, Spain, on 7 November 2021, and she was “very happy” about her surprised strong performance in the heat.
Given better running conditions on Sunday, Borecha, who was not one of the top runners to win this race this weekend, could have very well clocked a time in the sub-2:20 range.
“I am very happy. I didn’t expect to run like this, so I am very happy,” she said through a translator after improving her PB by one minute and 55 seconds.
Purity Changwony of Kenya finished fast to take second place with 2:25:11 after running past the tired-looking Sintayehu Hailemichael of Ethiopia (2:25:21) in the closing meters.
Volkswagen Prague Marathon 2022 Leading Results
Men’s Marathon Leading Results
1 KIGEN NOBERT KEN 2:07:54
2 WOLDAREGAY KELKILE ETH 2:08:30
3 ZERIHUN YITAYAL ETH 2:08:44
4 KOSGEI EDWIN KEN 2:08:58
5 KORIR RONALD KEN 2:09:53
6 SERBESSA WORKNEH ETH 2:12:37
7 YEGON GEOFFREY KEN 2:13:04
8 SAKÉ NICOLAÏ BEL 2:16:49
9 HATTORI YUMA JPN 2:18:04
10 HOMOLÁČ JIŘÍ CZE 2:18:43
11 PECHEK PETR CZE 2:21:06
12 FEJFAR ONDŘEJ CZE 2:23:26
13 KŘIVOHLÁVEK TOMÁŠ CZE 2:26:23
14 EDLMAN TOMÁŠ CZE 2:28:57
15 SPLÍTEK KAREL CZE 2:29:08
16 MRÁZEK JAN CZE 2:29:21
17 CHLUPÁČ DOMINIK CZE 2:32:16
18 PROCHÁZKA MICHAL CZE 2:33:56
19 RADA STANISLAV CZE 2:34:59
20 BETTERBED TOMMY USA 2:35:10
Women’s Marathon Leading Results
1 BORECHA BEKELECH ETH 2:22:56
2 CHANGWONY PURITY KEN 2:25:11
3 AILEMICHAEL SINTAYEHU ETH 2:25:20
4 AMARE WAGANESH ETH 2:27:57
5 CHEBET RISPER KEN 2:29:54
6 GIDEY BIRHO ETH 2:37:28
7 JOGLOVÁ MARCELA CZE 2:39:23
8 CHEGEN SOFIYA ETH 2:43:12
9 MACUROVÁ BARBORA CZE 2:45:48
10 PASTOROVÁ PETRA CZE 2:46:33
11 JÍŠOVÁ BARBORA CZE 2:48:33
12 FILIPIOVÁ EVA CZE 2:51:26
13 ZUZÁNKOVÁ TEREZA CZE 2:51:55
14 MEYER MALENE DEN 2:52:18
15 KOUBKOVÁ LENKA CZE 2:55:23
16 DĚDIČOVÁ LENKA CZE 2:55:41
17 SASSNINK HANNAH GER 2:59:04
18 CSILLAG ESZTER HUN 2:59:40
19 NOVÁKOVÁ BARBORA CZE 3:03:07
