site.bta6th Edition of Cross-Border Via Pontica Marathon Held on Sunday

The 6th edition of the cross-border Via Pontica marathon, following the Ancient Roman road and the bird migration route, was held on Sunday along the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts. 

This year a record high number of 315 runners participated in the marathon organised by the “Green Step” club. The finish line for all distances was set on the beach north of the village of Krapets, Northeastern Bulgaria, which also hosted the starts of the 42 km, 13 km, and 2 km races.  

For the 21 km run, participants were transported by bus to the Romanian shore, between the coastal villages of 2 Mai and Vama Veche, where the race began. The course passed through Lake Durankulak, Cosmos campsite, and Bulgaria’s last wild beaches, before crossing into Romania. The removal of border checks following both countries’ accession to Shengen made the new route possible, noted the organisers. 

Out of 49 runners, 37 men and 12 women, Stoyan Rusev (IRun, Bulgaria) won the 42 km marathon, finishing in 3:09:17. Among the women, Atanaska Atanasova (Green Step, Bulgaria) won with a time of 3:34:00.  

The most popular discipline was the 21 km half marathon, with 133 runners who all successfully finished. The men’s winner was Yordan Petrov in 1:21:32, while Maria Atanasova Nikolova won the women’race in 1:32:18.  

The 13 km race stood out for its international participation with Guillaume Brochen from France winning in 51:47.  

Traditionally, the programme also featured a 2 km children’s run.