RunnersWeb (RRW) Athletics: Despite Pandemic, These 2020 Races Found a Way

06-Jan) -- When the COVID-19 pandemic struck last March, the vast majority of running events were rapidly cancelled. Some marquis events --like the Boston and Paris Marathons, Peachtree Road Race, and Utica Boilermaker-- were initially postponed from the spring and summer to the fall, but eventually were cancelled, too, as the pandemic accelerated and caused governments everywhere to limit in-person gatherings. Runners were typically offered the option to defer their entries to a future year or run events "virtually" where they could participate on their own at a safe distance from others then upload their results, either manually or via a mobile app.

PHOTO: Christopher Myers of Lancaster, Pa., wins the 43rd York White Rose 5-Mile on September 26, 2020 (photo by Clay Shaw for the York White Rose 5-Mile)

But tradition can be a strong thing, and some organizers of long-established races were determined to hold their events safely despite the pandemic, especially if an event has been around for fifty or even a hundred years. Such was the case for the YMCA Turkey Trot 8-K in Buffalo, N.Y., which had been held for 124 straight years through 2019.

"We knew that we needed to do something live," said Rick Streeter who directs what is the world's oldest, continuously-run, public road race, held every Thanksgiving Day since 1896. He continued: "To preserve the record, the streak, we needed to do something live."

So on a rainy and cold Thanksgiving morning in Buffalo, 117 runners ran a special version of the race on a modified course in downtown Buffalo using a socially-distanced, time trial format. The race, which was fully-permitted and supported by local authorities, was dramatically smaller than in the prior year when over 11,000 runners finished it, but the streak and the tradition had been preserved.

"We felt like we are stewards of it, something that survived world wars, all the world wars, and whatever else," said Streeter's event-directing partner, Pat Leone.

Streeter and Leone were not alone in their desire to see their event take place. A global survey of out-of-stadium running events by Race Results Weekly found that 51 road, mountain and cross country races that were at least 35 years-old were held in 2020 after the onset of the pandemic in mid-March. Those events took place in 16 different countries, 41 of them were held for at least the 40th time, and 23 were staged for at least the 50th time. Sixteen of those events were held in Japan, the world's most rabid road running country, which included 12 long-running ekidens (or road relays) for professional, collegiate or elite high school athletes (the Tokyo Marathon was held before the global onset of the pandemic). Thirteen of the races were held in the USA, four in Switzerland and two in Poland.

Organizers used a variety of strategies to stage their events, including multi-day formats; severely reduced field sizes; "start as you please" open starts which lasted sometimes for hours; grid-style, socially-distanced starts; elite-only fields with the masses running virtually (so-called "hybrid events"); mask-wearing requirements; and even fixed-in-place timing systems which allowed runners to tackle a course day or night for a period of days.

The Virgin Money London Marathon was held for the 40th time last October after being postponed from its original date of April 26. Organizers sold 45,000 virtual entries (surely a world record), then staged a small, elite-only race in a secured "bubble" in St. James's Park for a handful of elite athletes.

Another event, the Sierre-Zinal mountain race in Switzerland, had a start-by-appointment system for a period of 33 days. Every runner was greeted by race staff upon arrival, had use of one aid station on the mountain, and got an official time via transponder at the finish. That race was held for the 47th time and recorded 654 finishers. Mountain running stars Kilian Jornet of Spain and Maude Mathys of Switzerland successfully defended their 2019 titles.

Below, you will find a list of the 51 events with some details about each. The oldest, the Kanto 10 Mile Road Race in Japan, was held for the 134th time (we think), although the full history of the race is not available. The Buffalo race was the oldest in the United States (125 editions), while the oldest in Europe was the Kosice Peace Marathon in the Slovak Republic which was held for the 95th time.

Kanto 10 Mile Road Race (134th) Chiba, JPN; Sunday, December 20 Distance: 10 mi. Finishers: 148 men (no women's division) Winner: Shusuke Shikama, 48:34 NOTE: This is the third-oldest road race in the world, according to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians. YMCA Turkey Trot 8-K (125th) Buffalo, NY, USA; Thursday, November 26 Distance: 8 km Finishers: 117 (down from 11,915 last year) Winners: Aileen Hoak-Lange, 31:44; Nicholas Taboni, 26:10 NOTE: Organizers drew 125 names from the pool of thousands of virtual entries and allowed those athletes to run in-person in micro-wave format: 15 runners were released every three minutes until all the runners were on the course. Bechovice-Praha (124th) Prague, CZE; Sunday, September 27 Distance: 10 km Finishers: 1578 (down from 2673 last year) Winners: Moira Stewartova, 33:49; Jakub Zemanik, 30:18 NOTE: The race was held as the national 10-K championships, but organizers did not limit entries to only elite athletes. Run for the Diamonds (111th) Berwick, PA, USA; Thursday, November 26 Distance: 9 mi., hilly, one-loop, certified course (PA92024RE) Finishers: 623 (down from 1135 last year) Winners: Regan Rome, 53:11; Simon Smith, 45:20 NOTE: This is the third-oldest road race in the USA, founded in 1908; it had only been cancelled in 1918 and 1919 during the global flu pandemic. Kosice Peace Marathon (95th) Kosice, SVK; Sunday, October 4 Distance: 42.195 km (WA/AIMS certified) 10 x 4.2 km loop Finishers: men 156 + women 23 = 179 total (down from 1520 last year) Winners: Petra Pastorova, CZE, 2:52:11; Marek Hladik, SVK, 2:26:08 NOTE: This is the oldest marathon in Europe. Organizers eliminated all companion events and only accepted 200 athletes for the marathon, and they ran on a closed, 4.2 km circuit instead of the usual city-wide course. Polish Cross Country Championships (92nd) Kwidzyn, POL; Saturday, November 28 Distances: 4 km, 6 km and 8 km Winner (Senior Men, 8 km): Tomasz Grycko, 23:34 Winner (Senior Men, 6 km): Aleksandra Brzezinska, 20:03 NOTE: This event has been held in many different venues over the years, so it is not a tradition of a single city or town. Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree Cross Country (83rd) OSU Cross Country Course, Stillwater, OK, USA; Saturday, October 3 Distances: Men, 8 km; Women, 6 km Finishers: 120 men + 122 women = 242 total Winners (Individual): Cailie Logue, Iowa State, 20:38.6; Wesley Kiptoo, Iowa State (KEN), 23:34.5 Winners (Team): Women, Iowa State, 29 points; Men, Oklahoma State, 23 points. NOTE: This was one of a handful of collegiate cross country invitationals held in the fall. Okutama Keikoku Ekiden (82nd) Ome, Tokyo, JPN; Sunday, December 6 Format: There were men's and women's competitions; Women compete over 3 stages totaling 11.1 km and 43 teams competed; Men competed over 6 stages totaling 44.8 km and 152 teams competed Winner (Team): Comody Iida, 2:11:38 CR NOTE: This competition was only for professional athletes. Tokai Region University Ekiden (82nd) Chita Hanto, Aichi, JPN; Sunday, December 13 Format: Both men's and women's university teams competed; for women 8 teams competed over 26.6 km broken into 5 stages; for men 17 teams competed over 63.5 km broken into 7 stages Winner (Team): Kogakkan University, 3:16:13 NOTE: This event was only for university athletes. Fukuoka International Marathon (74th) Fukuoka, JPN; Sunday, December 6 Distance: 42.195 km, loop course with stadium start and finish (WA/AIMS certified) Finishers: 67 men (down from 370 last year); there was no women's division Winner: Yuya Yoshida, 2:07:05 NOTE: Organizers reduced the field by over 80% from 2019 and only allowed elite athletes who were resident in Japan to compete. Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai Half-Marathon Road Race (74th) Showa Kinen Park, Tachikawa, Tokyo, JPN; Saturday, October 17 Distance (NEW COURSE): 21.1 km on 2.6 km closed loop, World Athletics-certified (much flatter than the traditional course) Finishers: 541 men (up from 501 last year) Winner: Joseph Razini Lemeteki, Takushoku University (KEN), 1:00:13 NOTE: This is an elite-only race for university athletes, and this year they used a closed, 2.6 km loop course instead of running on city streets. National High School Boys' Ekiden Championships (71st) Kyoto, JPN; Sunday, December 20 Format: 42.195 km over 7 stages; 47 teams competed Winner (Team): Sera High School, 2:01:31 Pikes Peak Marathon (65th) Manitou Springs, CO, USA; Sunday, August 23 Distance: 42.195 km; course begins at 1918m on a paved road, climbs to 4299m on a rocky trail, then comes back down to 1934m Finishers: 469 men + 148 women = 617 total (down from 640 last year) Winners: Brittany Charboneau, 4:25:21; Seth DeMoor, 3:36:31. NOTE: Organizers employed a number of anti-COVID protocols including mask-wearing everywhere but on the trail where the race is run; symptom surveys and temperature checks for all runners, race organizers and volunteers; ample space for social distancing; and elimination of most traditional pre and post-race activities. Kansai Corporate Ekiden Championships (63rd) Tanabe, Wakayama, JPN; Sunday, November 15 Format: Nine teams competed over 7 sections totaling 80.45 km Winner (Team): NTT Nishi Nihon, 3:57:01 NOTE: This event was only for professional athletes. East Japan Corporate Ekiden Championships (61st) Kumagaya Sports Park, Saitama, JPN; Tuesday, November 3 Format: 23 teams competed over 7 stages totaling 76.4 km; new course Winner (Team): Fujitsu, 3:36:43 NOTE: This event was only for professional athletes. Chubu Jitsugyodan Ekiden (60th) Tahara, Aichi, JPN; Sunday, November 15 Format: Ten teams competed over 7 stages totaling 80.5 km Winner (Team): Toyota A, 3:51:19 CR NOTE: This event was only for professional athletes. Chugoku Jitsugyodan Ekiden (59th) Sera, Hiroshima, JPN; Sunday, November 15 Format: Nine teams competed over 7 sections totaling 80.8 km Winner (Team): Mazda, 4:02:38 NOTE: This event was only for professional athletes. JFK 50 Mile (58th) Boonsboro to Williamsport, MD, USA; Saturday, November 21 Distance: 50.2 mi., point-to-point course with paved roads, rugged trails, steep descents and climbs Finishers: 702 (down from 959 last year; entries to this event are capped every year) Winners: Camille Herron, 6:31:14; Hayden Hawks, 5:18:40 CR NOTE: The race received some criticism on social media for not allowing entries to be deferred to the following year for athletes who did not feel safe traveling to, or running, the event in person; no virtual option was offered. Kyushu Jitsugyodan Ekiden Championships (57th) Kitakyushu, JPN; Tuesday, November 3 Format: 18 teams competed over 7 sections totaling 80.2 km Winner (Team): Asahi Kasei A, 3:51:31 CR NOTE: This event was only for professional athletes. NN San Silvestre Vallecana (56th) Madrid, ESP; Thursday, December 31 Distance: 10 km (WA/AIMS certified). Finishers: 213 men + 88 women = 301 total (down from 2239 in the competitive heat last year; there were also 34,101 in the 2019 open race) Winners: Yalemzerf Yehualaw, ETH, 31:17; Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, KEN, 27:41 NOTE: Organizers used a different course from the traditional downhill route on city streets. This year, elite athletes ran four laps on a closed, 2.5 km circuit with start and finish at the same place. Women's started one hour ahead of the men. TCS Liding�loppet Cross Country (56th) Liding�, Stockholm, SWE; September 26 Distances: 30 km and less competitive 15 km for men, plus all-women's 10-K; additional races for children Finishers: 30-K, 32 men + 18 women = 50 total (down from 12,389 last year); 15-K, 34 men + 26 women = 60 total (down from 5261 last year); 10-K, 30 men + 22 women = 52 total (down from 2410 last year). Winners (30-K): Hanna Kumlin, 2:04:43; Linus Hulteg�rd, 1:43:46 Winners (15-K): Charlotta Fougberg, 52:11; Samuel Russom, 45:38 NOTE: Normally, this event is held as a massive, two-day cross country festival. But this year, only top athletes ran in-person and only on one day. Thousands of other participants ran virtualy, however. National University Ekiden Championships for Men (52nd) Atsuta Shrine to Ise Shrine, Nagoya, JPN; Sunday, November 1 Format: 25 university competing over 8 sections totaling 106.8 km Winner (Team): Komazawa University, 5:11:08 CR NOTE: This event was for university athletes only. Hofu Marathon (51st) Hofu, JPN; Sunday, December 20 Distances: 42.195 km, World Athletics-ceritifed loop course with track start and finish Finishers: 311 men + 38 women = 349 total (2019 finishers not available) Winners: Yomogi Akasaka, 2:29:21; Tatsuya Maruyama, 2:09:36 NOTE: This race is usually very small with fewer than 500 finishers in a typical year. Space Coast Marathon (49th) and Half-Marathon Cocoa, FL, USA; Sunday, November 29 Distances: 42.195 km and 21.1 km (two different half-marathon courses) Finishers: Marathon, 536; Half-Marathons, 2520 combined Winners: Marathon, Christina Welsh, 3:03:58; Patrick Hutton, 2:35:22. Winners: Half-Marathon: Kaitlin Donner, 1:18:45; R.J. Dorazil, 1:13:39. NOTE: With over 3000 runners, this was the largest race festival held in the United States during the pandemic. To spread the runners out, organizers used two different half-marathon courses, one which ran north along the coast before turning back, and one that ran south. All races started in waves. Runners were required to wear masks at the start and put them back on immediately after finishing. Sierre-Zinal (47th) Valais' Alps, SUI; August 17 - September 18 Distance: 31 km beginning at 500m with 2200m ascent and 800m descent Finishers: 548 men + 106 women = 654 total (down from 1496 last year) Winners: Maude Mathys, SUI, 2:48:48; Kilian Jornet, ESP, 2:33:15 NOTE: This mountain race has a very narrow course, so keeping runners as a safe distance would be impossible. Instead of cancelling this event, organizers allowed runners to compete by appointment over a period of 33 days. On the final day, the elite athletes competed and the final results were tallied based on all participants for all days. Corsa Internazionale di San Silvestro "Boclassic" (46th) Bolzano, ITA; Thursday, December 31 (afternoon start) Distances: Men, 5 km; Women, 10 km; 975.2m circuit on go-kart track (not the regular 1250m circuit in the town center) Finishers: 14 men + 10 women = 24 total in elite races (down from 40 last year) Winner (Women's 10-K): Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi, KEN, 30:43 CR Winner (Men's 5-K): Oscar Chelimo, UGA, 13:17 CR NOTE: Except for a youth run, this event is normally an elite-only race, anyway. This year's event was moved from the town center of Bolzano to a driving school/go-kart track because of the pandemic, and the distances were switched: women ran 10 km and men ran 5 km, the opposite of the usual program. Fischang-Cicchetti Memorial Race 5-Mile (46th) Waterbury, CT, USA; Sunday, November 22 Distance: 5 mi. Finishers: 127 (up from 84 last year) Winners: Sybil Sanders, 29:05; William Sanders, 24:55 NOTE: This race squeaked in just before Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont bannned all road races beginning with Thanksgiving Day (November 26).

Hallwilerseelauf (46th) & 10-K Beinwil am See, SUI; Saturday, October 10 Distances: 21.1 km, loop course around a lake (the Hallwilersee) and 10 km Finishers: Half-Marathon, 1430 men + 648 women = 2078 total (down from 2871 last year); 10-K, 278 men + 291 women = 569 total (down from 1445 last year) Winners (half-marathon): Selina Ummel, 1:20:35; T-Roy Brown, 1:09:36 NOTE: This event used a very long, staggered start over a period of hours to maintain safe distancing between athletes. The half-marathon started between 09:15 and 13:30 and the 10-K started between 14:15 and 15:00. The final results were tallied by net times. Vulcan Run 10-K (46th) Birmingham, AL, USA; Saturday, November 7 Distance: 10 km Finishers: 248 men + 185 women = 433 total (down from 855 last year) Winners: Erica Speegle, 34:17; Andy Smith, 32:06 NOTE: Organizers employed an anti-COVID safety plan including a well-spaced starting grid, wave starts, and plenty of hand sanitizer. Participants were encouraged to wear masks before and after the race. Omaha Marathon (45th) & Half-Marathon Omaha, NE, USA; Sunday, September 20 Distances: 42.195 km and 21.1 km Finishers: Marathon, 299 (down from 190 last year); Half-Marathon, 228 Winners (Marathon): Shannon Beale, 3:08:38; Kenny Rayner, 2:35:19 Winners (Half-Marathon): Elisha Hartzell, 1:38:07; John Raneri, 1:05:10 CR Johnnycake Jog 5 Mile (44th) Painesville, OH, USA; Sunday, July 12 Distance: 5 mi., one-loop certified course Finishers: 131 men + 100 women = 231 total (down from 383 last year) Winners: Renee Harden, 32:32; Austin Neura, 25:42 NOTE: Organizers used a socially distant, grid start and kept the field small. Post-race congregating was not permitted. VCU Health Richmond Marathon (43rd) Richmond, VA, USA; November 7 - 22 Distance: 42.195 km (USATF-certified) special course on the Virginia Capital Trail Finishers: 910 over 16 days Winners: Veronica Eder, 2:43:31; Zebulon Hanley, 2:25:28 NOTE: This event allowed runners to compete on a special course between November 7 and 22. It was not a virtual race as runners had to use the official course. Athletes were timed by a transponser system on site, but also had to use the RaceJoy mobile app which provided back-up data to ensure that athletes ran the full course. York White Rose Run 5 Mile (43rd) York, PA, USA; Saturday, September 26 Distance: 5 mi., near-loop course Finishers: 108 men + 123 women = 231 total (entries were limited to 250 this year) Winners: Zoe Matherne, 29:09; Christopher Myers, 25:27 NOTE: Organizers painted dots on the roadway in the starting area to position athletes six feet apart. Packet pick-up was outdoors, and race staff and volunteers wore masks. The state limit on gatherings was 250 people, so the race had to stay under that. Istanbul Marathon (42nd) Istanbul, TUR; Sunday, November 8 Distance: 42.195 km; World Athletics-certified, point-to-point coastal course with about 20m elevation loss Finishers: 1475 in open race + 15 in elite race (2019 finishers not available) Winners: Diana Chemtai Kipyokei, KEN, 2:22:06; Benard Cheruiyot Sang, KEN, 2:11:49 Greifenseelauf (41st) Uster, SUI; September 14 - 19 Distance: 17.9 km Finishers: 1857 men + 895 women = 2752 Winners: Andreina Schwarz, 1:10:51; Jan Moser Ives, 1:02:00 NOTE: Organizers used a multi-day format to reduce runner density. PZU Orlen Warsaw Marathon (41st) Warszawa, POL; September 26 - 27 Distance: 42.195 km using 5 km loop course (not the usual course) Finishers: 728 men + 126 women = 854 total (down from 4698 last year) Winners: Dominika Stelmach, 2:41:57; Pawel Kosek, POL, 2:23:14 NOTE: Organizers broke up the athletes into four groups, and two groups competed on Saturday and two on Sunday in four separate races. Results were tallied by aggregating all performances. Smarna Gora (41st) Smarna Gora (Ljubljana), SLO; October 10 Distance: 10 km, climbing from 300m to 699m, down to 390m, then up again to 699m at the finish Finishers: 59 men + 19 women = 78 total Winners: Mojca Koligar, SLO, 52:22; Sylvain Cachard, FRA, 41:47 NOTE: This mountain race uses a very narrow trail (the finish line structure is only wide enough for one person) so participant numbers are kept small every year. Bel Air Town Run 5-K (40th) Bel Air, MD, USA; Sunday, August 9 Distance: 5 km Finishers: 151 men + 114 women = 265 total (down from 988 last year) Winners: Megan DiGregoria, 19:11; Langston Gash, 15:06 NOTE: Organizers cut the field size and used 25-runner wave starts to maintain social distancing. Japanese Corporate Women's Ekiden Championships (40th) (Also known as the Queens Ekiden) Sendai, Miyagi, JPN; Sunday, November 22 Format: 22 teams competed over 6 sections totaling 42.195 km Winner (Team): Japan Post, 2:13:34 CR NOTE: This race was for professional athletes only. Marat�n Valencia Trinidad Alfonso edp (40th) Valencia, ESP; Sunday, December 6 Distances: 42.195 km & 21.097 km, flat, WA/AIMS-certified courses with negligible start/finish separation Finishers: Marathon, 87 men + 47 women = 134 total (down from 21,542 last year); Half-Marathon, 21 men + 10 women = 31 total (there was no half-marathon in 2019, but rather a 10-K with 6100 finishers). Winners (Marathon): Peres Jepchirchir, KEN, 2:17:16 CR; Evans Kiplagat Chebet, KEN, 2:03:00 CR Winners (Half-Marathon): Genzebe Dibaba, ETH, 1:05:19; Kibiwott Kandie, KEN, 57:32 WR NOTE: Organizers limited the field to only elite athletes this year, and employed extensive anti-COVID protocols. Forty-one men and 20 women achieved Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying marks. Virgin Money London Marathon (40th) London, GBR; Sunday, October 4 Distance: 42.195 km on 2.15 km circuit (19.76 laps) around St. James's Park Finishers: 29 elite men + 18 elite women = 47 total (down from 57 elite athletes last year); total finishers in 2019 was race record 42,485 Format: Two separate elite races: 1) elite women accompanied by female pacemakers at 07:15 and 2) elite men accompanied by male pacemakers at 10:15 Winners: Brigid Kosgei, KEN, 2:18:58; Shura Kitata, ETH, 2:05:41 NOTE: This race, part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, was postponed from April to October. The race sold 45,000 virtual entries (a world record for any event) and limited the in-person race to about 50 elites who ran on a closed course with a secure, fenced perimeter. Galaxy Entertainment Macau International Marathon (39th) Macau, MAC; Sunday, December 6 Distances: 42.195 km & 21.097 km (both WA/AIMS certified) Finishers: Marathon: 652 men + 89 women = 741 total (down from 1101 last year); Half Marathon: 2389 men + 597 women = 2986 total (up from 2869 last year) Winners (Marathon): Zhang Deshun, CHN, 2:28:43 CR; Dong Guojiang, CHN, 2:12:59 Winners (Half-Marathon): Wong San San, MAC, 1:28:06 NR; Bian Qi, CHN, 1:06:29 Giro Podistico Int'l Citt� di Pordenone (39th) Pordenone, ITA; Sunday, September 12 Distance: About 5.5 km Finishers: 39 men + 41 women in elite race (more in Winners: Francine Niyomukunzi, BDI, 17:51; Jean Marie Vianney Niyomukiza, BDI, 15:50 Sanyo Women's Road Race (39th) City Lights Stadium, Okayama, JPN; Sunday, December 20 Distances: 21.1 km and 10 km, both World Athletics-certified and record-eligible Finishers: Half-Marathon, 137 (up from 74 last year); 10-K, 124 Winner (half-marathon): Husan Zeyituna, ETH, 1:09:24 Winner (10-K): Agnes Mwikali, Kurashiki High School (KEN), 31:39 CR NOTE: This race is limited to elite athletes. Bath Half-Marathon (38th) Bath, GBR; Sunday, March 15 Distance: 21.1 km Finishers: 6808 (down from 11,336 last year) Winners: Becky Briggs, 1:14:34; Paul Pollock, IRL, 1:04:14 NOTE: There was pushback in the local community over holding this event right at the onset of the pandemic before the British government had set public gathering limites. Bath's own member of parliament was against it, local media reported. Many registered runners did not show up. Morinomiyako Ekiden (38th) (National University Women's Ekiden Championships) Sendai, Miyagi, JPN; Sunday, October 25 Format: Six sections totaling 38.1 km; 25 teams competed Course Record: New (see below) Winner (Team): Meijo University, 2:02:57 CR (4th straight title) NOTE: This race was limited to University women athletes. New Caledonia Half-Marathon (38th) New Caledonia, FRA; Sunday, August 30 Distance: 21.1 km Finishers: 455 (also 297 in a companion 10-K) Winners (half-marathon): Caroline Favier, 1:30:48; Patrick Vernay, 1:17:47 NOTE: New Caledonia is an island in the pacific off the east coast of Australia. This race festival usually hosts a marathon, but it was cancelled this year. Swiss Alpine Marathon (38th) Davos, SUI; Sunday, July 26 Distance: 42.9 km on trails (loop course with 1425m of altitude difference) Finishers: 307 men + 111 women = 418 total (down from 498 last year); there were more finishers at other distances Winners (K43): Natascha Baer, 3:48:45; Matthias Kyburz, 3:00:17 NOTE: This is a trail race which begins in the center of Davos. Athletes had to wear masks at the start. Wizz Air Sofia Marathon (38th) Sofia, BUL; Sunday, October 11 Distances: 42.195 km (WA/AIMS certified), 21.097 (WA/AIMS certified), & 10 km Finishers: Marathon, 314 men + 71 women = 385 total; Half Marathon, 710 men + 218 women = 928 total; 10-K, 627 men + 415 women = 1042 total Winners (Marathon): Naom Jebet Rotich, KEN, 2:28:41; Redouan Nouini, MAR, 2:13:03 Winners (Half-Marathon): Nataliya Semenovych, UKR, 1:15:28; Jean-Baptiste Simukeka, RWA, 1:05:17 Wizz Air Budapest Half-Marathon (35th) Budapest, HUN; Sunday, September 6 Distance: 21.1 km Finishers: 2474 men + 1300 women = 3774 total (down from 7968 last year) Winners: Katalin Kovacs-Garami (40+), 1:18:53; Gaspar Csere, 1:06:30 Venicemarathon (35th) Venezia, ITA; Sunday, November 1 Distance: 42.195 km, AIMS certified, see note below Finishers: 3 (down from 5340 last year) NOTE: This year's race was mostly virtual, but three athletes were permitted to run the full course in-person with the assistance of various pacemakers. Organizers called it "Venicemarathon One for All." The athletes were Eleonora Corradini, Gabriele Gallo and Pier Alberto Buccoliero (wheelchair racer). They all finished in "about 3:30" according to the Italian athletics federation, FIDAL, but there was no official timing.