Ljubljana Marathon

For the upcoming race, see NLB 29. Ljubljana Marathon 2025.

The Ljubljana Marathon is the largest running event in Slovenia, organized annually since 1996 by the City of Ljubljana and implemented by the Timing Ljubljana Association. It takes place every year on the third weekend in October. The main event is the Heineken 0.0 Marathon (42 km), and there are also the Generali ZAME Half Marathon (21 km), the Garmin Run 10 km, all on Sunday. The Saturday program is intended for younger people: preschoolers, School Runs (for students and high school students), and a charity run. From 2024, the general sponsor is NLB d.d.

Ljubljana Marathon
Date	Third Sunday in October
Location	Ljubljana, Slovenia
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon
Primary sponsor	NLB d.d.
Established	1996 (28 years ago) (1996)
Course records	Men's: 2:04:58 (2018) Sisay Lemma Women's: 2:20:17 (2024) Joyce Chepkemoi Tele
Official site	Ljubljana Marathon
Participants	2,246 finishers (2024) 1,611 (2023) 1,208 (2022)

History

October 27, 1996, was not an ordinary day for Ljubljana. This actually only became apparent years later, but that day a seed was sown that successfully sprouted and began to grow more than anyone could have imagined. Those who had been working for it for several years knew the role of marathon events in large cities and therefore could imagine that the Ljubljana Marathon could eventually grow into something bigger. On that beautiful Sunday morning, the streets of Ljubljana were first taken over by runners, 673 in total. In 2024, a total of 21,242 runners participated in the NLB Ljubljana Marathon.

The largest was the Ljubljana Marathon in 2015, when a total of 24,372 runners ran.

Course

External images
Course map of full marathon in 2015[1]
Course map of full marathon in 2019[2]

Profile of full marathon in 2015

The start is on Slovenska cesta near Figovec (Trg Ajdovščina), all routes are circular (in one circle), flat, and the finish is at Kongresni trg.

Other races

Teenagers running on Slovenia Street [sl] in front of Hotel Slon [sl], 2013

In addition to the marathon, a half marathon (21.098 km (13.110 mi)), a 10K run, a fun run (3.150 km (1.957 mi)), and a free run for kids (200 m (660 ft)) are organised.^[3][4][5] A number of races of different lengths for schoolchildren of different ages are also held.^[3]

Winners

Finish line in 2015

The 11th Ljubljana Marathon

Total participants in all races

Key:    Course record

Year	Men's winner	Time[a]	Women's winner	Time[a]	Rf.
2024	Getaneh Molla (ETH)	2:06:29	Joyce Chepkemoi Tele (KEN)	2:20:17	[6]
2023	Edmond Kipngetich (KEN)	2:06:47	Gerado Senbeta Zinash (ETH)	2:21:05
2022	Gebretsadik Abraha (ETH)	2:06:09	Dagne Siranesh Yirga (ETH)	2:21:08	[7]
2021	Ernest Tarus (KEN)	2:22:39	Grace Momanyi (KEN)	2:38:10
2020	postponed due to coronavirus pandemic				[8]
2019	Kelkile Gezahegn (ETH)	2:07:29	Bornes Chepkirui (KEN)	2:21:26
2018	Sisay Lemma (ETH)	2:04:58	Visiline Jepkesho (KEN)	2:22:58
2017	Marius Kimutai (BHR)	2:08:33	Shuko Genemo (ETH)	2:27:02
2016	Laban Mutai (KEN)	2:09:16	Purity Changwony (KEN)	2:29:32|	[b]
2015	Limenih Getachew (ETH)	2:08:19	Melkam Gizaw (ETH)	2:25:42
2014	Ishhimael Chemtan (KEN)	2:08:25	Janet Rono (KEN)	2:29:16
2013	Mulugeta Wami (ETH)	2:10:26	Caroline Chepkwony (KEN)	2:27:27	[10]
2012	Berhanu Shiferaw (ETH)	2:09:40	Workenesh Tola (ETH)	2:30:45
2011	Daniel Too (KEN)	2:08:25	Lydia Kurgat (KEN)	2:33:01	[11][12]
2010	Evans Ruto (KEN)	2:10:17	Tiruwork Mekonnen (ETH)	2:37:16
2009	William Biama (KEN)	2:10:12	Caroline Kilel (KEN)	2:25:24
2008	Abraham Mulu (ETH)	2:14:41	Tetyana Mezentseva (UKR)	2:37:13
2007	Oleksandr Sitkovskyy (UKR)	2:12:49	Tetyana Filonyuk (UKR)	2:34:58
2006	Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI)	2:14:14	Inga Juodeškiene (LTU)	3:01:55
2005	Samuel Nganga (KEN)	2:15:47	Daneja Grandovec (SLO)	2:50:42
2004	Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI)	2:13:31	Yelena Razdrogina (RUS)	2:46:30
2003	Andriy Naumov (UKR)	2:13:58	Galina Zhulyeva (UKR)	2:38:13
2002	Andriy Naumov (UKR)	2:14:30	Galina Zhulyeva (UKR)	2:39:36
2001	Roman Kejžar (SLO)	2:22:57	Nada Rotovnik-Kozjek (SLO)	3:09:47
2000	Patrick Chumba (KEN)	2:13:35	Maria Luisa Costetti (ITA)	3:08:38
1999	Woliye Jara (ETH)	2:20:53	Lyudmila Petrova (RUS)	2:52:25
1998	Piotr Pobłocki (POL)	2:18:20	Helena Javornik (SLO)	2:32:33
1997	Charles Subano (KEN)	2:19:28	Helena Javornik (SLO)	2:40:05
1996	Roman Kejžar (SLO)	2:20:12	Helena Javornik (SLO)	2:37:58

Statistics

Note: Marathon statistics only

Multiple wins

Men's Athlete Wins Years  Roman Kejžar (SLO) 2 1996, 2001  Andriy Naumov (UKR) 2 2002, 2003  Joachim Nshimirimana (BDI) 2 2004, 2006

Women's Athlete Wins Years  Helena Javornik (SLO) 3 1996, 1997, 1998  Galina Zhulyeva (UKR) 2 2002, 2003

Winners by country

Country	Men's race	Women's race	Total
Kenya	11	7	18
Ethiopia	7	6	13
Ukraine	3	4	7
Slovenia	2	5	7
Russia	0	2	2
Burundi	2	0	2
Poland	1	0	1
Lithuania	0	1	1
Italy	0	1	1

Notes

1. h:m:s
2. Levy Matebo Omari would finish 1st with a course record (unofficial 2:07:40) but was misled by an official TV-car at 40 km and had to run an extra distance of around 450 m ^[9]

References

1. "Volkswagen 20. Ljubljanski maraton". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
3. "Volkswagen Ljubljanski maraton". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
4. "Fun run | Volkswagen Ljubljana marathon". Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
5. "Lumpi run | Volkswagen Ljubljana marathon". vw-ljubljanskimaraton.si. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19.
6. "Kenijka Chepkemoi Tele z rekordom proge zmagala na 42 km". dnevnik.si.
7. "Timing Ljubljana". VW 26. Ljubljanski maraton 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
9. "Ljubljanski maraton: Tretjeuvrščenemu višja nagrada kot zmagovalcu". rtvslo.si. Rtv SLO. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
10. "Chepkwony beats the breeze in Ljubljana". IAAF. 27 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
11. "Ljubljanski Maraton". www.timingljubljana.si. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
12. "Ljubljanski Maraton". www.timingljubljana.si. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2022.

External links

• Ljubljana Marathon homepage