Porto Half Marathon

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Porto Half Marathon
Ponte D. Luis - Porto.JPG
The race crosses the River Douro over Dom Luís Bridge
DateMid September
Location PortoVila Nova de Gaia
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
Event type Road
Distance Half marathon
Primary sponsor Hyundai
Established2007
Course recordsMen's: 59:30 (2011)
Flag of Eritrea.svg Zersenay Tadese
Women's: 1:09:23 (2017)
Flag of Kenya.svg Monica Jepkoech
Official site Porto Half Marathon
Participants2,461 finishers (2021)
3,791 (2019)

The Porto Half Marathon (Portuguese: Meia-Maratona do Porto) is an annual half marathon road running event held in Porto, Portugal which follows the River Douro. Known as the Hyundai Porto Half Marathon for sponsorship reasons, the inaugural edition was held in 2007 and it typically takes place every mid-September.

Contents

The competition attracts top level elite athletes, mainly East African and Portuguese. [1] Since its inception, all the men's and women's races have been won by East African competitors. Among those to top the men's podium are Olympic champions Haile Gebrselassie and Samuel Wanjiru, while former world champion over 10,000 metres, Berhane Adere, was the 2010 women's winner. [2] [3]

Zersenay Tadese holds the men's course record with his time of 59:30 minutes, set in 2011. [4] Pamela Chepchumba (two-time winner) set the women's course record of 1:10:24 hours in 2009. [3]

The half marathon course begins near Freixo Bridge and heads westwards, passing Cais de Gaia and Afurada before turning back on itself. It goes east, crossing the Douro over Dom Luís Bridge and again loops back once the route reaches the area near Freixo Bridge again. The course heads west towards the mouth of the Douro, going past Miragaia and finishing in the Jardim do Calém - Fluvial. In addition to the main half marathon event, there is a smaller 6 km mini-marathon which goes from Freixo Bridge to the Jardim do Calém - Fluvial. [5]

The race is one of three major annual running events organised in Porto by Run Porto, alongside the Porto Marathon and the São Silvestre do Porto. [6] [7]

Past winners

Meia Maratona do Porto 2016.jpg

Key:  Course record

EditionYearMen's winnerTime (h:m:s)Women's winnerTime (h:m:s)
1st2007Flag of Kenya.svg  Jonathan Kipkorir  (KEN)1:01:39Flag of Kenya.svg  Lenah Cheruiyot  (KEN)1:11:23
2nd2008Flag of Kenya.svg  Samuel Wanjiru  (KEN)1:01:24Flag of Kenya.svg  Pamela Chepchumba  (KEN)1:10:26
3rd2009Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)1:00:04Flag of Kenya.svg  Pamela Chepchumba  (KEN)1:10:24
4th [1] 2010Flag of Kenya.svg  Stephen Kibet  (KEN)1:00:09Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Berhane Adere  (ETH)1:13:49
5th2011Flag of Eritrea.svg  Zersenay Tadese  (ERI)59:30Flag of Kenya.svg  Doris Changeywo  (KEN)1:10:36
6th2012Flag of Kenya.svg  Benson Barus  (KEN)1:01:44Flag of Kenya.svg  Alice Mogire  (KEN)1:10:23
7th2013Flag of Kenya.svg  Samuel Ndungu  (KEN)1:01:48Flag of Kenya.svg  Mercy Kibarus  (KEN)1:11:11
8th2014Flag of Kenya.svg  Bernard Kipyego  (KEN)1:00:38Flag of Kenya.svg  Purity Rionoripo  (KEN)1:10:40
9th2015Flag of Kenya.svg  Emmanuel Bor  (KEN)1:01:06Flag of Kenya.svg  Monica Jepkoech  (KEN)1:10:26
10th2016Flag of Uganda.svg  Daniel Rotich  (UGA)1:00:59Flag of Japan.svg  Nao Isaka  (JPN)1:12:12
11th2017Flag of Kenya.svg  Abraham Kiptum  (KEN)1:00:06Flag of Kenya.svg  Monica Jepkoech  (KEN)1:09:23
12th2018Flag of Kenya.svg  Mike Kiptum  (KEN)1:00:53Flag of Kenya.svg  Susan Kipsang  (KEN)1:11:06
13th2019Flag of Uganda.svg  Maxwell Rotich  (UGA)1:01:14Flag of Kenya.svg  Antonina Kwambai  (KEN)1:09:42
14th2021Flag of Portugal.svg  Luís Saraiva  (POR)1:03:11Flag of Portugal.svg  Solange Jesús  (POR)1:15:43

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References

  1. 1 2 Rui Silva e Fernanda Ribeira foram os portugueses mais bem classificados (in Portuguese). Sapo Desporto (2010-10-10). Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  2. Fernandes, Antonio Manuel (2008-09-21). Wanjiru, Chepchumba take Half Marathon victories in Porto. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  3. 1 2 Fernandes, Antonio Manuel (2009-10-18). Gebrselassie just outside 60 minutes at Porto Half - UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  4. Fernandes, Antonio Manuel (2011-09-18). Tadese under one hour in Oporto. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  5. Mapa Dos Percursos (in Portuguese). Run Porto. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  6. Run Porto - Our Events Archived 2008-10-22 at the Portuguese Web Archive(in Portuguese). Run Porto. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.
  7. Fernandes, Antonio Manuel (2008-01-01). Masai, Prokopcuka produce the fireworks in Amadora – Portuguese New Year’s race round-up. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-04.