Over the last five editions, Wizz Air Sofia Marathon has gradually established itself not only as the largest road running event in Bulgaria, but also as a race where performances continue to improve and competition becomes increasingly intense. The data from 2021–2025 outlines an interesting picture — both in terms of elite performances and the transformation of the event itself from a traditional city marathon into an international running festival.

In 2021, Sofia Marathon still carried the marks of the post-pandemic period. Around 2,420 participants took part across the 10 km, half marathon, and marathon distances. Weather conditions were nearly ideal for fast racing — cool temperatures with only light rain at times. Kenyan runner Duncan Koech and Turkish athlete Erdal Tubay won the marathon, while Bulgarian runner Militsa Mircheva missed the national record by just one second. The 10 km race also produced a curious moment after a course marking issue caused some runners to accidentally follow the half marathon and marathon route.

Just one year later, the scale of the event had already changed significantly. In 2022, nearly 3,000 runners completed the 10.5 km, half marathon, and marathon races. The strongest men’s marathon performance in the analyzed period came that year, with Mohamed Chabout winning in 2:13:38 — a result that marked the beginning of Sofia attracting increasingly strong international athletes. Devora Avramova and Nikolay Parvanov won the 10.5 km race, while the half marathon titles went to Marinela Nineva and Adam Lomb.

The real breakthrough came in 2023. The 40th anniversary edition gathered a record-breaking 5,000+ runners. That year also saw a new course record in the men’s marathon. Kenyan runner Matthew Kiplagat finished in 2:12:12 — the fastest marathon time in Sofia Marathon history at the time. In the women’s race, Beatrice Toroitich won in 2:38:27. Kenyan athletes also dominated the half marathon, while Bulgarian runners Ivo Balabanov and Devora Avramova claimed victory in the 10.5 km race — a trend that continued in the following years.

In 2024, Wizz Air Sofia Marathon took another major step forward. More than 6,000 participants from 63 countries joined the event, while the course expanded into the western part of Sofia for the first time. Due to the construction of a new metro line, the route was redesigned to include Todor Alexandrov Boulevard, Tsaritsa Yoanna Boulevard, and the area around West Park and Lyulin district. The changes not only expanded the geography of the marathon, but also improved runner distribution along the course.

That same year, organizers introduced something unusual for Bulgarian road races — eight music stages placed along the route. Sofia Marathon increasingly began to resemble major European city marathons, where the atmosphere on the streets becomes just as important as the sporting performance itself.

The upward trend continued in 2025. More than 8,000 runners participated across all disciplines — a new record for the event. The 10 km race alone attracted 2,800 runners, while the marathon distance reached 1,000 participants. International participation also increased significantly, with 1,308 runners from 66 countries.

Two of the most memorable sporting moments in marathon history also happened in 2025. In the men’s marathon, the winner had to be determined by photo finish. After more than two hours of racing, Shadrack Kimaiyo defended his title by only three tenths of a second ahead of Abraham Kiplimo — 2:17:10.552 versus 2:17:10.832.

In the women’s marathon, the course record was broken. Chelangat Sang won in 2:33:08 — more than five minutes faster than the winning time the year before. It remains the strongest women’s performance of the analyzed period.

The statistics from the last five years also reveal interesting trends across the different distances. The 10 km race has become consistently faster, especially among women — from 40 minutes in 2021 to 33 minutes in 2025. It is also the distance with the smallest gap between men and women — only three minutes in the latest edition. In the men’s 10 km race, the best result is 30 minutes, achieved in 2024 and repeated in 2025.

The half marathon remains the most consistent discipline in terms of men’s performances, with the best result of 1:04 repeated across several editions. In the women’s half marathon, the fastest time was recorded in 2024 with 1:12.

All this shows that Wizz Air Sofia Marathon is evolving into much more than a sporting competition. It has become a large-scale city festival with international participation, stronger athletic performances, and an increasingly recognizable atmosphere. From 2,420 participants in 2021 to more than 8,000 in 2025, the marathon’s growth clearly demonstrates the direction of one of Bulgaria’s most important sporting events.