Göteborgsvarvet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Göteborgsvarvet |
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Runners at the 2010 edition of the race
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| Date | May |
| Location | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Half marathon |
| Established | 1980 |
| Course records | Men's: 59:35 (2016) Richard MengichWomen's: 1:07:58 (2017) Fancy Chemutai |
| Participants | 39,221 (2019) |
Göteborgsvarvet is a super popular annual running race in Gothenburg, Sweden. It's often called the Gothenburg Half Marathon in English. A half marathon is a long-distance road running event. It is about 21.1 kilometers (13.1 miles) long.
This race is one of the biggest running events in the world! It has a huge number of people who sign up to run. For example, in 2016, about 64,500 people entered the race. Runners of all ages join in, from teenagers to people in their 80s.
The name "Göteborgsvarvet" is a clever word play in Swedish language. The word "varv" can mean two things. It can mean "lap" (like running a lap). But it can also mean "shipyard." Gothenburg used to be famous for its shipyards. So, the name is a fun nod to the city's history!
Contents
About the Race Course
The Göteborgsvarvet race happens every year in May. It has been held annually since 1980. The race begins and ends at Slottsskogsvallen. This is an old athletics stadium located in the beautiful Slottsskogen park.
The Exciting Route
The race starts by heading north. Runners cross the big Älvsborg Bridge. Then, they follow the north bank of the Göta älv river. After that, they cross back over the Hisingen Bridge. The course then goes through the inner city of Gothenburg. Finally, runners reach the finish line back at Slottsskogsvallen. It's a challenging but very scenic route!
National Championship Races
The Göteborgsvarvet has also been chosen to host the Swedish national championship race several times. This means that Swedish runners compete here to become the national champion. It has hosted this special event in 1995, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016, and 2017.
Recent Race Cancellations
Unfortunately, the races in 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled. This was because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Safety was the top priority for everyone.
Past Winners
Key: Course record Swedish national championship race
| Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 |  Göran Högberg (SWE) |
1:06:17 | Midde Hamrin (SWE) |
1:15:50 |
| 1981 | Göran Högberg (SWE) |
1:05:44 | Evy Palm (SWE) |
1:17:47 |
| 1982 | Mats Erixon (SWE) |
1:02:54 |  Grete Waitz (NOR) |
1:09:57 |
| 1983 | Tommy Persson (SWE) |
1:04:40 | Jeanette Nordgren (SWE) |
1:14:54 |
| 1984 | Mats Erixon (SWE) |
1:03:14 | Midde Hamrin (SWE) |
1:10:46 |
| 1985 | Mats Erixon (SWE) |
1:04:35 | Jeanette Nordgren (SWE) |
1:13:44 |
| 1986 | Mats Erixon (SWE) |
1:03:41 | Evy Palm (SWE) |
1:12:11 |
| 1987 | Mats Erixon (SWE) |
1:03:37 | Midde Hamrin (SWE) |
1:13:24 |
| 1988 | Håkan Börjesson (SWE) |
1:05:13 | Evy Palm (SWE) |
1:14:19 |
| 1989 |  Francis Naali (TAN) |
1:03:35 | Elisabeth Johannesson (SWE) |
1:17:16 |
| 1990 | Francis Naali (TAN) |
1:01:54 | Midde Hamrin (SWE) |
1:12:45 |
| 1991 |  Andrea Nade (KEN) |
1:04:38 | Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) |
1:12:30 |
| 1992 | Onesmo Ludago (TAN) |
1:03:24 |  Suzanne Rigg (GBR) |
1:13:26 |
| 1993 | Francis Naali (TAN) |
1:03:37 |  Ritva Lemettinen (FIN) |
1:13:30 |
| 1994 | Onesmo Ludago (TAN) |
1:03:08 | Ritva Lemettinen (FIN) |
1:13:04 |
| 1995 | Richard Nerurkar (GBR) |
1:02:39 | Ritva Lemettinen (FIN) |
1:13:18 |
| 1996 | Wilson Musto (KEN) |
1:03:12 |  Aniela Nikiel (POL) |
1:14:29 |
| 1997 | Martin Ojuku (KEN) |
1:01:44 | Joyce Chepchumba (KEN) |
1:09:50 |
| 1998 | Fred Ntabo (KEN) |
1:03:28 |  Nadesjda Iljina (RUS) |
1:12:31 |
| 1999 |  Rachid Aït Bensalem (MAR) |
1:02:18 | Nadesjda Iljina (RUS) |
1:11:47 |
| 2000 | Phaustin Baha (TAN) |
1:02:42 | Stine Larsen (NOR) |
1:09:28 |
| 2001 |  Pavel Loskutov (EST) |
1:03:00 | Stine Larsen (NOR) |
1:11:07 |
| 2002 | Mustafa Mohamed (SWE) |
1:03:35 | Lena Gavelin (SWE) |
1:13:03 |
| 2003 | Benjamin Rotich (KEN) |
1:03:43 | Meriem Wangari (KEN) |
1:13:27 |
| 2004 | Mustafa Mohamed (SWE) |
1:04:03 | Leah Kiprono (KEN) |
1:18:06 |
| 2005 | Silas Sang (KEN) |
1:03:19 | Susan Kirui (KEN) |
1:12:34 |
| 2006 | Abdelkader El Mouaziz (MAR) |
1:02:14 |  Helena Javornik (SLO) |
1:12:34 |
| 2007 | Sylvester Teimet (KEN) |
1:04:03 | Kirsten Otterbu (NOR) |
1:12:38 |
| 2008 | Sylvester Teimet (KEN) |
1:01:21 | Kirsten Otterbu (NOR) |
1:10:19 |
| 2009 | Nicholas Kamakya (KEN) |
1:01:55 |  Ana Dulce Félix (POR) |
1:11:27 |
| 2010 | Sammy Kirui (KEN) |
1:01:10 |  Amane Gobena (ETH) |
1:11:40 |
| 2011 | Albert Matebor (KEN) |
1:00:52 | Joyce Chepkirui (KEN) |
1:09:04 |
| 2012 | Victor Kipchirchir (KEN) |
1:00:25 |  Hilda Kibet (NED) |
1:09:27 |
| 2013 |  Jackson Kiprop (UGA) |
1:03:13 | Isabella Ochichi (KEN) |
1:11:29 |
| 2014 |  Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) |
1:00:36 | Worknesh Degefa (ETH) |
1:10:12 |
| 2015 | Richard Mengich (KEN) |
1:00:44 | Worknesh Degefa (ETH) |
1:08:13 |
| 2016 | Richard Mengich (KEN) |
0:59:35 | Violah Jepchumba (KEN) |
1:08:01 |
| 2017 | Geoffrey Yegon (KEN) |
1:00:19 | Fancy Chemutai (KEN) |
1:07:58 |
| 2018 | Shadrack Kimining (KEN) |
1:01:31 | Meseret Tola (ETH) |
1:09:06 |
| 2019 | Shadrack Kimining (KEN) |
1:00:38 | Tabitha Gichia (KEN) |
1:08:18 |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic | |||
| 2022 | Amos Kipruto (KEN) |
1:00:50 | Tigist Assefa (ETH) |
1:08:20 |
| 2023 | Edmond Kipngetich (KEN) |
1.01.46 | Susan Chembai (KEN) |
1.10.40 |
| 2024 | Moses Koech (KEN) |
1:02:56 | Janet Ruguru (KEN) |
1:11:35 |
