We’re counting down the final hours to the start of the Generali Prague Half Marathon. The third fastest half marathon in the world last season is eyeing more record-breaking performances. “I had a quality preparation this year, I’m in great shape and I hope to run even faster in Prague than I did in Dubai in February,” declared the race’s main favorite, Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi.
The 25-year-old Kenyan long-distance runner, who boasts a personal best of 58:10 from last year’s Copenhagen Half Marathon, has already competed this year. Despite strong winds in Ras Al Khaimah in February, he managed to finish under the one-hour mark with a time of 59:26. He currently holds an excellent fourth place in the World Athletics road running rankings. Isaia Kipkoech Lasoi thus has a realistic shot at beating the current race record of 58:24, held by last year’s Prague Half Marathon winner, Sabastian Sawe.
The top contender in the women’s race is Isaia’s compatriot, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk. The fourth-fastest woman in half marathon history is turning heads with her impressive personal best of 1:03:32, and road racing seems to be becoming her true forte. In addition to a silver medal from the World Championships two years ago in the 5,000m, she also boasts fifth-place finishes at the World Championships on the track and the Olympic final in Paris in the 10,000m. “I’ve trained really well and I believe I can improve the race record,” revealed the 27-year-old Kenyan. The best women’s performance in Prague Half Marathon history (1:04:52) has stood for eight years and belongs to Joyceline Jepkosgei.
Patrik Vebr will aim to become the fastest Czech runner for the third time in a row. The athlete from Škoda Plzeň Athletics Club prepared for two months in Iten, Kenya, and has already competed this year in 10 km road races in Lille and Dresden. The starting line will also feature a number of well-known personalities from various walks of life. Three-time world cyclo-cross champion Zdeněk Štybar will make his half marathon debut on Saturday. “What would the time be if I just walked the whole course?” he joked at the press conference. “Since I haven’t trained as much as I’d like, I’m not setting any performance goals. I just want to run the half marathon and enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the race and the city of Prague.”
The new title partner of the metropolitan half marathon in the RunCzech series is Generali Česká pojišťovna. “We strive to support sport, and running is the main discipline in our company. We even founded a running club called Running Lions, whose members will be participating in Saturday’s half marathon in Prague,” shared the title partner’s representative Marek Szlaur. The Generali Prague Half Marathon also continues its strong support of charitable causes. The Human Safety Net initiative by Generali Česká pojišťovna helps disadvantaged people, focusing on families with children under six years of age and supporting non-profit organizations such as the Leontinka Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages. “I want to thank the organizers of the Prague Half Marathon not only for holding this race, but also for their efforts in supporting a good cause. And when each of us contributes, even with a small gesture, we can make life better for everyone,” said Monika Majerčíková, External Communications Manager of Human Safety Net.
The City of Prague has also been a long-time partner of the RunCzech races. “Runners are the kind of tourists we love to welcome in Prague. And this year, Carlo (Capalbo) approached us with the idea of creating a team to compete against teams from the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, which we’re really looking forward to,” said Vít Hofman, spokesperson for the Prague City Hall.
The 25th anniversary edition of the Prague Half Marathon will welcome a record 16,000 runners. The race will start on Saturday at 10:00 AM on Bubenské Embankment, in front of the gates of the Holešovice Market.
