site.btaUPDATED 43rd Wizz Air Sofia Marathon Kicks Off on Saturday
The 43rd Wizz Air Sofia Marathon kicked off with a 5 km FIB Mass Run on Saturday. The race was flagged off by Youth and Sports Minister Encho Keryazov, who also took part in the run and completed the distance in 44 minutes and 7 seconds.
“I am glad to see so many people of different ages at the starting line. I would like to congratulate the parents who have come with their children, because we may talk about how important health is, but unless we set an example, it does not do much good,” the Minister said in his address. He added that the State would always support sport, especially when people show an interest in it.
Participating were also Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev, Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov, Culture Minister Eftim Miloshev, Environment and Water Minister Rositsa Karamfilova, and Health Minister Katya Ivkova, among others.
Miloshev finished 617th among more than 1,900 participants in the 5 km race, making him the fastest runner among the representatives of the Council of Ministers. Sport, culture and education are the most important things, he said. He also stressed the importance of an event such as the marathon, which will attract a record 12,000 participants over two days.
Terziev urged residents of the capital to exercise regularly. He finished 256th with a time of 29 minutes and 28 seconds.
Ivan Andreev won the 5 km race in 15 minutes and 54 seconds. In the women’s category, the winner was Militsa Mircheva, the marathon's race director, with a time of 17 minutes and 2 seconds.
The 5 km race was followed by the 10 km Garmin Run, in which Ivo Balabanov and Bilserin Syuleyman claimed the men’s and women’s titles, respectively.
Balabanov crossed the finish line in 30 minutes and 13 seconds. Morocco’s Abdelghafour Ahizoune placed second in 31:01, while Stoyan Vladkov finished third in 32:15.
Syuleyman dominated the women’s race, finishing in 35:06, more than four minutes ahead of the runner-up. Veselka Damyanova took second place in 39:12, followed by Kristiana Mihaylova in 39:32.
The 10 km race was also joined by Tervel Zamfirov, bronze medallist in snowboarding at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the entire Bulgarian national boxing team, accompanied by Bulgarian Boxing Federation President Krasimir Ininski and national team head coach Joel Arrate.
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