A festival of health, athleticism and endurance, the Skopje marathon is perhaps one of the biggest sporting events in the entire Balkan region. Held annually at the very beginning of May, it attracts competitors and spectators from all over the world, joined together to crown this city as a true marathon metropolis.
Having its first opening back in 2007, the Skopje city marathon has never stopped growing. Attracting more people by the year, the event has already crossed the mark of 10,000 competitors in 2018. Steadily building its reputation, it is now one of the most important Wizz Air marathon gatherings.
The city of Skopje has also transformed thanks to the marathon. Taking place on a Sunday morning, the competition would empty the center of this European metropolis, creating a vibrant atmosphere and a spectacle to remember.
The positive atmosphere is contagious, uniting people of all ages, nationality and background, brought together to celebrate health and fitness. In the meantime, competition on the asphalt is fierce. With clear sky and pleasant weather as their allies, runners are pushing through to break their personal record.
Skopje Marathon – the races
The event is hosting 5 different races including the marathon, half-marathon, the marathon relay, the team building and the 5k race. The effort to promote each grows by the year, as more and more people are putting their name on the list.
For the Skopje Marathon 2018, the chief promoter was Paula Radcliffe – a record holder for the women marathon and a true advocate for health and physical endurance.
With several small events around the big day, the marathon organization is trying to engage the entire city of Skopje, and it seems to be working. Sunday comes, and spectators arrive in the thousands, ready to participate in this iconic event.
Marathon
With 42,195 km, the marathon race is the main highlight. Running two laps around the city, competitors test their endurance and stamina, pushing hard to break their record. The limit for getting past the finish line is 5 hours and 30 minutes, and you need to be above 18 years of age in order to qualify. The starting point is near the main square of Skopje, close to the triumphal gate and the massive statue “warrior on horse”.
Half-marathon
Far more popular according to the number of participants, the half marathon covers 21,097 km. Children above the age of 16 can participate, but those under 18 would still need a written consent from one of their parents.
If you are hesitant for the big race, then perhaps the half-marathon can be a satisfying but nonetheless challenging introduction to long distance running. Should you decide to compete, there is hardly a better place than Skopje for making your first debut.
Marathon relay
With four sections of 10 km, the marathon relay depends on team spirit. It is a very challenging and fun way to visit Skopje with your friends and compete as a group.
5k race
As the most crowded race of the event, this one truly enriches the Wizz Air marathon. With over 6000 people participating, the 5k mark is an excellent way to test yourself for speed, against a fair number of locals who are very much enjoying this part of the Skopje marathon.
Team building race
As part of the 5k race, and the half-marathon, the team building category is a group competition where friends and colleagues can help one another to raise their average score. The Macedonian corporate world is participating, along with charity foundations, NGOs and a whole host of other groups who came to promote their brand, cause, or simply test themselves as a team.
The results are published in two different categories for each of these races, differentiating between men and women competitors, and ranking them separately.
How to register for the Skopje city marathon
Locals and foreigners are both allowed to participate at the event. Age requirements are different for every race, and registration fees vary according to when you apply.
Age requirements
If you want to compete for the marathon race, you need to be above 18 years of age at the day of the competition.
For the half-marathon race, competitors under 18 are allowed to participate but only with a written statement by a parent or caretaker. No children under 16 years of age are allowed to participate in this race.
As for the 5k race, there are no age requirements.
Registration fees
The lowest fees apply for the 5k race, and go upward from there. However, even the marathon application fee is reasonably affordable, so you don’t have to worry about pricing.
Certain gifts and vouchers are included, making the registration fee much more affordable.
Fee structure is also dependent on the timing of your application. Therefore, if you apply earlier, the fee is much lower.
For the 5k race, you will have to pay:
- Until October, 31st – 6 EUR
- Until February, 28th – 7 EUR
- Until April, 27th – 8 EUR
For the half-marathon race:
- Until October, 31st – 15 EUR
- Until December, 31st – 17 EUR
- Until February, 28th – 20 EUR
- Until April, 27th – 25 EUR
For the marathon race:
- Until October, 31st – 15 EUR
- Until December, 31st – 17 EUR
- Until February, 28th – 20 EUR
- Until April, 27th – 25 EUR
For the marathon relay race:
- Until October, 31st – 49 EUR for team
- Until December, 31st – 56 EUR for team
- Until February, 28th – 65 EUR for team
- Until April, 27th – 70 EUR for team
The team building race covers both the 5k and the half-marathon, so you can register your team members to compete in one or the other. Fees depend on each separate member registering on their own, and you can register as many runners as you like.
Only the top 4 from each team will count for the final score formation, and therefore you need to have at least that many of them for the 5k race, or at least 3 runners for the half-marathon.
If a runner is registered in two or more teams, he or she is immediately disqualified.
How to pick up your race package?
The registration fee includes your supplementary race package, which varies according to the category where you are competing. Nevertheless, you should show up one or two days prior to the event, and present personal ID when claiming your package.
The package can be picked up at the main square in Skopje, but you can contact the marathon organization for other options and arrangements (more info will be shared below).
What does the marathon and half-marathon package include?
- Dry fit t-shirt
- Start number with a disposable chip
- Personal video and photo from Pic2Go
- Digital race bag from Eventbaxx
- Water and fruit during the race
- Online diploma
- Wizz Air voucher – 20 EUR in value
- Accident insurance for the duration of the race
- Different gifts from partners
- Medal at the finish
What does the digital race bag from Eventbaxx include?
Each year there will be a set of different coupons and vouchers that are redeemable at certain stores and online shops. You will also receive digital magazine issues of marathon running publications and much, much more.
Awards for the Skopje Marathon
Prize money is given to the top 10 of men contenders, and top 7 of women contenders for the marathon gold. Similarly, prize money is given to the top 5 male and female contenders for the half-marathon trophy.
Some of the rewards are also conditioned on participant results according to time.
Marathon
The 1st place for men, for the marathon, is awarded with 2000 EUR if the result on the board is sub 2:18:59. Above that, and the prize is 1200 EUR.
Second place is awarded 1200 EUR if the clock reads sub 2:20:59 and 700 EUR if the result is above.
Third place comes with a reward of 700 EUR for a sub 2:21:59 and 500 EUR for a result over this mark.
For the 4th, 5th 6th and 7th place competitors are awarded 400, 300, 250 and 150 EUR respectively, and 8th, 9th and 10th place receive 100 EUR.
For women, the same pricing structure applies, and the rewards are equal in money received. So it goes:
The 1st place for women, for the marathon, is awarded with 2000 EUR if the result on the board is sub 2:46:59. Above that, and the prize is 1200 EUR.
Second place is awarded 1200 EUR if the clock reads sub 2:48:59 and 700 EUR if the result is above this mark.
Third place comes with a reward of 700 EUR for a sub 2:50:59 and 500 EUR for a result over this mark.
For the 4th, 5th 6th and 7th place competitors are awarded 400, 300, 250 and 150 EUR respectively.
Extra prize money is awarded if the highest ranked competitor wins a new record.
Half-marathon
Prize awards for men:
- 1st place – 200
- 2nd place – 150
- 3rd place – 100
- 4th place – 50
- 5th place – 50
Prize awards for women:
- 1st place – 200
- 2nd place – 150
- 3rd place – 100
- 4th place – 50
- 5th place – 50
Rewards are transferred to your bank account within 45 days after the end of the race.
For the 5k race, winners receive medals and additional coupons, vouchers and prize goods as opposed to a money prize. The results for the team building race are officially published on a cocktail party 45 days after the event.
Results for the Skopje marathon 2018
To get a clue on how competitors rank in terms of results, you can check the latest board from the Skopje marathon in 2018. As you can see, Kenyans and Macedonians are usually populating the top 5 positions.
Skopje Marathon, men:
- Evans Kipkemoi BIWOTT (KEN) – 2:14:08
- John LANGAT (KEN) – 2:14:59
- Hosea Rutto KIPROTICH (KEN) – 2:28:58
- Tolossa Chengere DADI (ETH) – 2:39:13
- Aleksandar KIRADJIEV (MKD) – 2:42:48
Skopje Marathon, women:
- Jedidah Wanjiru KARUNGU (KEN) – 2:51:24
- Marija VRAJIC (CRO) – 3:02:00
- Adrijana POP ARSOVA (MKD) – 3:05:04
- Biljana KIRADJIEVA (MKD) – 3:15:44
- Vesna KIRADJIEVA (MKD) – 3:32:16
The 1st place for the half marathon, in category men, was 1:09:10, and for women 1:29:15.
The 5k race, this year with less impressive results, was won with 00:17:38 for men and 00:19:08 for women.
If you want to check the entire list of runners and their results, you can visit the official site of the Marathon.
Contact info for the Skopje city marathon
If you want to contact the marathon organization for the Skopje city marathon, then follow the information below:
Name: Union of Sports Skopje (in Macedonian – Сојуз на спортови на Скопје)
Address: Jordan Hadzikonstantinov – Dzinot 12a 1000 Skopje
Phone and fax: +389 23228624
E-mail: info@skopskimaraton.com.mk
nikolovska@sportskopje.mk
Sponsors of the marathon event
Considering the scale of this event, there are many organizations, government and private, supporting it. The main patrons are the city of Skopje, the Delegation of the European Union, and the Agency for youth and sport.
The main sponsor of the event is the airline company Wizz Air, which is also supporting a network of marathon events throughout Europe – hence the name of the marathon.
Other partners and sponsors include Toyota, Park Hotel and Spa, Pelisterka, and MRT1.
Skopje marathon is also supported by a large number of volunteers, each helping with various aspects of the organization and logistics before and during the race.
Atmosphere at the Skopje Wizz Air marathon
With streets being empty, athletes and spectators are slowly gathering. It seems as though a mass of people is conquering the city center, and the view from above is surreal.
You can visit the Kale Fortress which is towering above the city, and observe this massive group of people, wearing all sorts of vibrant colors and sports apparel, as they are slowly overtaking the streets of Skopje.
The number of competitors is unprecedented, at around 10,000 people. As years go by, it is expected to grow – perhaps exponentially.
The weather is very pleasant around this period of the year, and late spring is always the best season for visiting the capital. Rain is usually reserved for later, around the end of May and the beginning of June, with records showing clear and blue skies for many years back.
You’ve probably heard about the air pollution problem in Skopje. But although it is a growing concern, the quality of air is average around spring and summer. The pollution problem is mostly due to outdated sources of heating during the winter, and alleged wrongdoing of several large facilities that use this period of the year to mask their otherwise banned methods of production and low environmental standards. Needless to say, when spring arrives, you don’t have to worry.
The number of spectators crowding the sidewalks is even higher than the number of competitors. Young and old, family and friends, all arrive on time to see the river of people running through the streets.
The organizers traditionally award the best photography, so expect hundreds of cameras snapping pictures left and right. They are also promoting fun and positive energy, so awards are given for the best cheering sign as well. Having this in mind, you can easily understand why the streets are filled with innovative, comic, and inspirational cheering signs, costumes and performing arts.
Training for the marathon event
Locals have the city to themselves year round, but foreigners can arrive early to get accustomed to the climate and humidity, preparing themselves mentally for the big event.
If you are here early, the best running lanes stretch along river Vardar, and the city park nearby.
If you want to train for explosiveness and speed, and compete at the 5k race, uphill running can be quite tempting, and you should definitely visit the nearby park forest of Vodno. Towering above Skopje, it provides serenity, beautiful mountain scenery, and some of the most impressive panoramic views one can find.
One of the best ways to experience Skopje
The city governing body is quite aware of the effect which this event has on people. It is perhaps one of the most important festivals of health, fitness, and willpower in the entire country of Macedonia.
Locals and foreigners enjoy the spectacle, uniting in competition or cheering for their loved ones. It is truly an amazing sight.
If you are into outdoor travel, the marathon is one heck of an introduction to Macedonian climate and the city of Skopje. And there are many other races to discover as you start to browse the list. The cross country ones, perhaps, are the best way for discovering Macedonia, and they are taking place only weeks apart.
If you are not the fitness or running fanatic, cheering can also suffice. Visiting the event from the sidewalk is equally attractive, and you can stay for a week or two in order to enjoy Skopje.
If you’d like to follow the race and know the location of the person you are cheering for, then make sure to download the Wizz Air Skopje Marathon application on Android and iOS. It will provide you with the option to search a runner, track them on the map, and browse the results for Skopje marathon 2017, and Skopje marathon 2018.
Visit the Kale Fortress, the Old Bazar, and the recently transformed center, and make time for Vodno and the cable car ride to the summit of the mountain.
If you are more interested in outdoor tourism, make sure to visit the Matka Canyon, where you can discover archaic monuments of Macedonian religious history, kayak down the river, and take a boat ride to the cave complex nearby.
If you are here just in time for the Skopje Marathon, you’ll have the pleasure of attending one of the most crowded and well-organized events in this region. You will also enjoy one of the most vibrant cities on the Balkan Peninsula, along with its periphery which is a sight to behold.