Runners from 39 countries took part in the 23rd edition of the Podgorica Marathon on Sunday 30 October.
The event is the largest running event in Montenegro and has been awarded a five-star certification by European Athletics Running for All.
While runners of all ages and abilities took part in the 5km and 10km, some of the region’s leading runners travelled to Podgorica to stake their claim for medals as the event incorporated the Balkan Half Marathon Championships.
Olivera Jevtic added yet another accolade to her long and distinguished career which dates back to the 1995 European Athletics Junior Championships where she won medals in the 3000m and 10,000m, by claiming victory in a season’s best of 72:25 ahead of a triumvirate of Kenyans led by Christine Moraa in 73:31.
In between, Jevtic has been to five successive Olympic Games and won Serbia’s first ever medal at the European Athletics Championships with silver in the marathon in Gothenburg a decade ago.
Jevtic turns 40 next spring but she is still the standard-bearer for Balkan long distance running.
On the men’s side, the Kenyans ran out triumphant with Hillary Kiptum (63:05) and Henry Kemboi (65:22) while Türkiye’s Bekir Karayel claimed the Balkan title in third in 67:46.
One of the special guests at the event was European Athletics Vice President Dobromir Karamarinov who was also on hand to assist with the prize giving ceremonies.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]