Thousands of runners and spectators once again transformed Prague into a major marathon stage on Sunday. At the 31st Vodafone Prague Marathon, international elite athletes battled it out in a thrilling race through the Czech capital.
The 31st Vodafone Prague Marathon 2026 crowned new winners on Sunday at Old Town Square. Overall victory went to Ethiopian runner Wendemu Tsegu Berehanu, who completed the 42.195 kilometres in an impressive time of 2:05:51.
For large parts of the race, it appeared likely that even the course record and the prestigious 2:05 barrier could fall. In the end, however, that mark remained untouched this year as well.
Video: Vodafone Prague Marathon 2026 Highlights
Behind Berehanu, an exciting battle developed for the remaining podium places. Kenyan runner Felix Kipkoech secured second place in 2:07:45 thanks to a strong finishing sprint. Third place went to Ethiopian Shiferaw Andualem Belay, who finished just 14 seconds behind silver. For Justus Kipkorir, however, the race ended bitterly: the pre-race favourite had remained alongside Berehanu at the front until the closing stages, but dropped back to an unfortunate fourth place over the final kilometres.
Foto: RunCzech
In the women’s race, Milicent Jelimo dominated clearly. The winner crossed the finish line in 2:24:20, finishing more than two minutes ahead of Janet Ruguru Gichumbi. Third place went to Angela Jemesunde Tanui, who completed the race in 2:27:45.
The Czech national championships also provided plenty of excitement. Surprisingly, Matěj Zima initially set the pace among the leading domestic runners before Yann Havlena took over the lead later in the race. The defending champion then pulled away confidently and retained his title in 2:17:48. At the same time, Havlena also achieved a new personal best.
The silver medal went to experienced runner Vít Pavlišta in 2:21:23, while bronze was secured by David Vaš with a time of 2:23:03.
Foto: RunCzech
In the national women’s standings, Michaela Brtníčková triumphed with a strong performance. She improved her personal best at the Prague Marathon by almost eight minutes and won in 2:42:27. Second place went to Eva Filipiová in 2:43:54. Laura Matulová also caused a surprise: in her marathon debut, she ran an impressive 2:46:29 and secured the bronze medal at the first attempt.
Alongside the marathon, the European Police Championships were also held. In the men’s race, Austrian runner Mario Bauernfeind claimed victory in 2:19:10, while Germany’s Anna Langerwisch won the women’s race in 2:32:13.
In the junior marathon, Gymnázium Dr. Antona Randy from Jablonec nad Nisou triumphed once again, just as they did last year.
Further information about the Prague Marathon 2026 can be found on the website of RunCzech. The full results list for the Vodafone Prague Marathon 2026 is also available there.
