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 Lidingöloppet Cross Country (56th)
Lidingö, 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 Hultegĺrd, 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).
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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.
Maratón 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 Cittŕ 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.
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