PRAGUE MARATHON HISTORY: THREE DECADES THROUGH THE OLD TOWN
The first edition of the Prague International Marathon went off in 1995 with 985 marathon finishers and roughly 15,000 runners across the full weekend when shorter companion races were added in. The event was the work of Italian organizer Carlo Capalbo, who built it alongside 1988 Olympic marathon champion Gelindo Bordin and Czech distance legend Emil Zatopek.
Zatopek's involvement gave the race immediate credibility in a country that had not hosted an international marathon of any scale. The four-time Olympic champion lent his name and his presence to the early editions, and the race became the anchor of what is now the RunCzech series.
The course runs through the historic core of the Czech capital, with the start and finish in Old Town Square. Runners pass the Charles Bridge, the Vltava embankments, and the narrow cobbled streets that make the route as visually distinctive as any in Europe. The cobbles also make it a slower surface than the flat showcase courses in Berlin or Valencia, which is part of why the course records have held up as long as they have.
The men's record stood for 13 years after Kenyan Eliud Kiptanui ran 2:05:39 in 2010. That mark finally fell in 2023, when Alexander Mutiso covered the course in 2:05:09 to take 30 seconds off Kiptanui's time. Mutiso beat Sisay Lemma and Philemon Rono on the day and took the win on his first attempt at the distance in Prague.
The women's record belongs to Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, who ran 2:19:46 for Israel in 2019. That time remains one of the fastest marathons ever run by a European-affiliated athlete and has not been seriously challenged in the editions since.
Prague holds World Athletics Gold Label status, the top tier for road races outside the majors, and the start list each May typically draws a mix of East African pacers chasing spring times and European athletes building toward summer championships. The field is deep without being crowded, and the prize structure has kept it relevant to agents looking for a fast course that pays.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for May 3 and marks the 30th running of the race. Three decades in, the event has settled into its identity as the continental spring marathon for runners who want a historic city backdrop without the logistical weight of the World Marathon Majors.