The Belgrade Marathon will be held on Sunday, 21st April 2013,
for the 26th time. The
Belgrade Marathon is Serbia's biggest sports events that attracts the
largest attendance, and as such has been declared an event of special
importance for the Belgrade city by the Belgrade City Council.
The Belgrade Marathon comprises the 5km Fun Run, half marathon
and marathon. It is considered to be the major sports and promotional
event that is traditionally held in the country. Together, the
Children's Marathon and the Belgrade Marathon draw significant attention
from the national media every spring.
Edwin Kitum and Olivera Jevtić
triumph
Belgrade, 21 April
The winner in the men’s competition of the 26th
Belgrade Marathon, Kenya’s Edwin Kiplagat Kitum who speaks very little
English kept repeating “hot, hot” and “tough course”, the four words
that best explain the winning results in the marathon and half-marathon
which are far from the course records of Kenyan Japhet Kosgei (2:10,54;
2006) and Romanian Christina Pomacu (2:29,44; 2001).
Edwin Kiplagat Kitum triumphed over 395 other runners with 2:19,34 and
finished over five minutes ahead of his more experienced countryman
Eliud Kiber Kirui (2:24,40), while the third-ranked Boash Mayaka Ongaga,
also from Kenya, was over eleven minutes behind (2:30,43).
In this light, Olivera Jevtić’s winning result of 2:36,12 is a real
achievement. She placed fifth in the overall ranking and it is a real
shame that she failed to break the national record of 2:35,46 she
herself holds since 2007, even though at the 40km mark she had the
record-breaking time.
– I am satisfied with this result and ranking even though I did not
better my personal best at this course. I have most likely lost the new
best time in the last two kilometres which were uphill and in very
strong sun. It was much warmer than 2007 when I set the course record. I
don’t regret taking part in the Belgrade Marathon because it is always
lovely to win in Belgrade – said Olivera Jevtić.
Her potentially greatest rival Kenyan Celina Chemunge Chelimo failed to
keep the pace with the Serbian record-holder (2:25,23) and dropped out
of the race at the 30th km. The second place went to Serbia’s Lidija
Mikloš (3:05,59) and the third to Poland’s Diana Golek (2:36,12).
Among the 2,373 participants in the half-marathon, the most successful
were Serbia’s Olympic marathoners from the 2012 London Games – Darko
Živanović (1:08,37) and Ana Subotić (1:19,35).
The start for this year’s Belgrade Marathon was given by the best
athlete of the 20th century Carl Lewis, Serbian Prime Minister Ivica
Dačić, the Belgrade Marathon Ltd president and famous basketball player
Aleksandar Saša Đorđević and Ambassador of the European Union in
Belgrade, Vincent Degert who then joined the marathoners.
The 5km “Kurir” Run for “Life” had over 10.000 participants amongst whom
many, including celebrities, ran for charity.
RESULTS
Marathon, men:
1. Edwin Kiplagat Kitum (Kenya) 2:19,34,
2. Eluid Kibet Kirui (Kenya) 2:24,40
3. Boash Mayaka Ongaga (Kenya) 2:30,43
4. Stanley Kipruto (Kenya) 2:36,11
5. Kristijan Stošić (Serbia) 2:37,55
Marathon, women:
1. Olivera Jevtić (Serbia) 2:36,12
2. Lidija Mikloš (Serbia) 3:05.59
3. Diana Golek (Poland) 3:16,48
4. Jelena Brezak (Croatia) 3:35,57
5. Maja Urban (Croatia) 3:38,56
Half-marathon, men:
1. Darko Živanović (Serbia) - 1:08,37
2. Mirko Petrović (Serbia) 1:11,08
3. Srđan Samardžić (Serbia) 1:12,53
4. Aleksandar Stekić (Serbia) 1:14,19
5. Kokan Ajanovski (FYRoM) 1:14,28
Half-marathon, women:
1. Ana Subotić (Serbia) 1:19,35
2. Anna Celinska (Poland) 1:19,49
3. Ksenija Bubnjević (Serbia) 1:23,07
4. Marijana Lukić - Čegar (Serbia) 1:26,05
5. Zaja Prapotnik (Slovenia) 1:27,31
Press release
19 April 2013
Carl Lewis at
the 26th BELGRADE MARATHON
CARL LEWIS: "I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING THE PEOPLE OF BELGRADE AND
SERBIA AGAIN"
Frederick Carlton Lewis, better known as Carl Lewis,
the best athlete of the 20th century, and without a doubt the most
charismatic subject of “the queen of sports” will serve as the promoter
of the Belgrade Marathon for the third time and will join the Belgraders
for the second time.
Our wish to bring Carl Lewis to Belgrade in 1994 was thwarted by the UN
Security Council sanctions. Lewis was prepared to come to Belgrade even
then, even though the US authorities advised him not to. However, we
have decided that the risk for the career of Santa Monica's amazing
sprinter and long jumper was too big, so Lewis ended up sending us a
video recording inviting everybody to come to the Belgrade Marathon. The
video was played for days on the national broadcaster and the 7th
BELGRADE MARATHON had a record attendance.
A similar scenario took place in 2006 at the 19th BELGRADE MARATHON,
when our wish finally came true and Carl Lewis came to Belgrade and
socialised with the participants of the big and children's marathons,
and his presence allowed for a new major media breakthrough of the
Belgrade Marathon in the world media.
Which is completely understandable as Carl Lewis
became a legend while he was still an active athlete.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Lewis, then aged 23, repeated
Jesse Owens’ 1936 feat and triumphed in the 100 and 200m, the 4 x 100m
relay and the long jump.
Aged 35, at the Atlanta Games, he equalled the record of Al Oerter by
triumphing for the fourth consecutive time at the Olympic Games in the
same event (the long jump).
With nine gold and one silver medal, he is the most successful Olympian
of all times, while eight gold, one silver and one bronze medal also
make him the most successful athlete of the World Championships.
Lewis' personal bests would still fetch medals today – 9,86 in the 100m,
19,75 in the 200m, 8,87 m in the long jump while every 4 x 100m relay
team would want his help. He was the reason of the US' long rule in this
event, andalongside the world record in the relay he also held the 100m
world record.
Earlier in the year we have invited Carl Lewis to
come to Belgrade again and join us at the 26th BELGRADE MARATHON and he
will, together with other officials, mark the start of the race with a
record-breaking attendance at Kralj Aleksandar Boulevard at 10 am on
Sunday.
Athletics federation of Serbia
supports the 26th Belgrade marathon
April 9th 2013
Serbian record holder in marathon and half-marathon
Olivera Jevtić, currently preparing for the participation in the 26th
BELGRADE MARATHON, addressed the journalists at the press conference via
video link and wished all the participants to meet their goals on
Sunday, 21 April.
While for the majority of participants that
represents the completion of the course and passing through the finish
line of the marathon, half-marathon and Fun Run, for her this means an
attempt at breaking her and national best at the Belgrade Marathon
course. For “Delta Generali” this means that one of the runners wins the
record bonus, for “BEL hospice“ that the team of charity runners is as
numerous as possible, for “ASICS” that competitors wearing their gear
are as fast as possible, for the Athletic Federation of Serbia that
athletics and running win new following and for the “Belgrade Marathon
Ltd” that this year’s event surpasses the previous one and that Belgrade
and Serbia are represented in an even better light to the international
media.
“Even though I have started the season by preparing for the Balkan Cross
Country Championship I did not get the chance to take part in it, so I
have switched to preparing for my second marathon at the Belgrade
course. I am happy to be running in Belgrade again and I will try to
finish the first half of the course in 1:15 hrs in order to manage to
break my course record of 2:35,66 and win the bonus awarded by “Delta
Generali”, the company I cooperated with in 2008 when I had set the
half-marathon record”, said Olivera Jevtić via video link.
Branislava Majstorović, manager of insurer “Delta
Generali’s” marketing department, said that the partnership with
Belgrade Marathon had been lasting for the past eight years:
“For the eighth time we are insuring all the marathoners and provide
record bonuses – from the world record the bonus for which is €50.000,
over European and course records to the Serbian national record. We
would love to see something similar to 2008 when Olivera Jevtić and
Predrag Mladenović had set the national records in the half-marathon.”
Ivana Todorović, representing the charity “BEL hospice” which provides
palliative care for cancer patients during the last phase of their
illness, said that their charity running team was considerably larger
than the last year when it debuted at the Belgrade Marathon:
“So far 260 people have registered which confirms that the marathon is
one of the best platforms for charity fund-raising. During the last
months our runners had a task of not only preparing for the race but
also of promoting the marathon, running, their mission and ask for
donations wherever they went.”
One of the “BEL hospice’s” charity team, journalist and TV presenter
Ivan Zeljković, added:
“The role of us runners is not to collect the largest donations
possible, but as many as possible and in doing so involve as many
individuals, companies and clubs as possible in this humane story and
widen the circle of people who can contribute to the work of “BEL
hospice.” The minimal sum each of us need to raise is 1.200 RSD which is
the participation fee. ”
Secretary General of the Athletic Federation of Serbia Slobodan
Branković thanked the media for their support in promoting the Belgrade
Marathon and the organisers for the efforts invested in the promotion of
athletics:
He said that the Belgrade Marathon is "the best possible promotion of
athletics."
"The fact that it is held for the 26th consecutive year, speaks for the
quality of the event, and triggers respect. What gives special weight to
the Marathon is the fact that it is announcing a great number of
participants from abroad, as well as its humanitarian nature," said
Brankovic. I would like to thank all sponsors and friends who help in
organisation of the Belgrade Marathon and who see that those who need
help get it.”
Bojan Gledović, representative of “Tref sport” said that the company is
the only distributer of “ASICS” sportswear in the region and added:
“All participants of the Belgrade Marathon will get “ASICS” T-shirts
while all participants, Belgraders and their guests will be able to
purchase “ASICS” products with a 30% discount during the marathon week
from 15 to 21 April in all “Tref sport” stores.”
Director of the Belgrade Marathon, Dejan Nikolić announced an expected
record-breaking attendance and a strong competition for the traditional
trophies and bonuses:
“E-registration via our web page www.bgdmarathon.org ends on the 10
April. However, from 15 April the participants will be able to register
directly in the Serbian Army Hall in 2 Francuska St, which will also be
a venue of the Pasta party organised for the participants. Yesterday we
have received registrations from runners from Japan and Bolivia which
means that so far we have the participants from 37 countries from all
continents. We will also have the strongest national competition led by
three Olympians. Olivera Jevtić will compete in the marathon, Ana
Subotić and Darko Živanović in the half-marathon, as will Mirko Petrović.
We will announce the names of the international elite runners in the
following days.”
