site.bta2022 Sofia Marathon to Have More than 3,500 Participants, BGN 60,000 Purse

More than 3,500 runners from 50 countries have applied to take part in the 2022 Sofia Marathon which takes place on Sunday, October 9, the organizers of the race said, speaking at a news conference traditionally held in the run-up to the marathon. 

The purse of the event is BGN 60,000. The Bulgarian participants with the best performance will be specially distinguished. 

Some 500 runners are expected to take part in the classical marathon distance, among them five Kenyans and two Moroccans. 

The foreign runners who will take part in the three event distances are 800, from 50 countries, including Japan, Columbia, Jordan, San Marino and Australia. Belgium will be represented by a particularly large group of runners, 80. 

Race Director Daniel Doukov said that the route of this year's marathon is the same one used in the past three editions of the event. Doukov said the route has a bronze label from World Athletics and the results from the Sofia marathon will count for any other race. 

The Sofia Marathon is one of the few marathons in the world which continued to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. After a break of two years due to the pandemic, this year's event will see the return of the mass start and of the short distance, 10 km. The mass start is free of charge and people can sign up for the race even on Sunday. The distance is 2.2 km. 

The route of the classical marathon distance goes past some of Sofia's main landmarks.

The race office will be located in the Prince's Garden in downtown Sofia and will open on Thursday. The office will accept late registrations and give out numbers, as well as T-shirts and gift bags to the participants. All runners who finish the races in the three distances will get a medal which this year will feature the outline of the St Sophia Church. 

On Sunday all streets of the race will be closed to traffic from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm.

The race in the classical distance starts at 9.30 am. The half-marathon starts at 9.45 am, while the 10-km race starts at ten sharp. The mass start begins at 10.15 am. The time allowed is five and a half hours.