Budapest Half Marathon sets participation record

The 41st Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon set a new participation record with over 24,000 entries, including runners from 117 different countries. The event saw a significant surge in international running tourism, with 8,449 entries coming from abroad.

In the Hungarian Half Marathon Championships, defending champions successfully retained their titles. Gábor Karsai won the men’s race with a time of 1:04:19, while Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth secured the women’s title with a time of 1:09:21.

The large scale of the event necessitated staggered starts lasting nearly 50 minutes and caused various traffic and public transport disruptions across Budapest. Key road closures included the Buda and Pest embankments, Liberty Bridge, and Margaret Bridge. The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) advised participants to use the M2 and M4 metro lines, the H5 HÉV, and several tram lines to navigate the city during the race.