The Generali Prague Half Marathon has long held its place among the world’s premier road races, carrying the World Athletics Elite Label and anchoring the SuperHalfs European series. Fast times are not an exception here—they are expected. Prague has repeatedly delivered history, none more striking than April 1, 2017, when Kenya’s Joyceline Jepkosgei shattered the 65-minute barrier with a then-world record of 1:04:51—no joke, despite the date. Three years later, in the altered landscape of pandemic racing, another global mark fell as Peres Jepchirchir clocked 1:05:34 in a women-only format.
Now, the 26th edition arrives with familiar promise: depth, speed, and the potential for something special.
Sub-60 Firepower Headlines Men’s Field
The men’s race is stacked. Six athletes arrive with personal bests under the one-hour mark—a rare concentration of elite talent even by Prague standards.
Defending champion Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi leads the charge. His 58:54 victory last year doubled as a national record, and he has since lowered that mark to 58:38, edging closer to Sabastian Sawe’s course record. Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku Gebresilase also looms as a serious contender, another athlete capable of dipping under 59 minutes on the right day.
Czech hopes rest with Jan Friš, the top domestic entrant. “The competition will be amazing, and the atmosphere will be truly great,” he said. “My goal is to improve on my Naples time of 1:05:22. Prague is the ideal place for that.” He’ll be joined by seasoned names including 14-time national champion Jiří Homoláč and mountain running specialist Matěj Zima.
Veterans Vít Pavlišta and Patrik Vebr take on pacing duties in the women’s race—an important role in a field chasing global relevance.
Women Target World Top-Five Territory
On the women’s side, Kenya once again provides the favourites. Jesca Chelangat enters with the fastest personal best—1:06:13 from Valencia—while Caroline Makanti Gitonga is close behind, just 13 seconds slower. Gitonga’s stock rose sharply following her 29:34 victory over 10 km in Castellón, placing her among the world’s best at that distance.
Both athletes will be eyeing sub-66 performances, a benchmark that could vault them into the top five globally this season.
Czech Olympian Tereza Hrochová adds local intrigue. With a personal best of 1:11:38, she sits fourth all-time nationally and is targeting an improvement. “It’s not my peak season, but I want to run a personal best,” she said. “I’ll aim for around 3:20 per kilometre. The conditions will matter, but the competition and Prague’s atmosphere will help. When the crowd lifts you, you stay focused—you don’t let yourself drift.”
Also lining up are Michaela Čepová, continuing her steady rise, and her coach Eva Vrabcová Nývltová, the European Championship marathon bronze medallist.
Race Day
The Generali Prague Half Marathon is set for Saturday, March 28, with a 10:00 a.m. start from the Holešovice Market. As ever, the stage is set—not just for fast racing, but for performances that may again echo beyond the streets of Prague.
