H.C. Andersen Marathon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids H.C. Andersen Marathon |
|
|---|---|
| Date | Late September |
| Location | Odense, Denmark |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon, Half marathon |
| Established | 2000 |
| Course records | Men's: 2:10:37 (2012) Luka ChelimoWomen's: 2:30:49 (2019) Jerubet Perez |
| Participants | 881 finishers (2021) 1,236 (2019) |
The H.C. Andersen Marathon (HCA Marathon) is a famous running event. It takes place every year in Odense, Denmark. The race started in the year 2000. It is named after the famous Danish fairy-tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. He was born in Odense.
Since 2006, the event has also included a half marathon. In 2017, a shorter 10K race called "Run the last 10" was added. The HCA Marathon was even called the world's fastest marathon in 2019. Runners finished the race in about 3 hours, 51 minutes, and 22 seconds on average. This is very fast! It is also known for having some of the cleanest air for a marathon.
The Race Course
The H.C. Andersen Marathon is run on a special round course. It starts and finishes at a place called Odense Idrætspark. Runners go around the course two times. The finish line is excitingly placed inside the athletics stadium.
Race Records and Winners
Fastest Times Ever
These are the fastest times recorded for the H.C. Andersen Marathon:
- Men's Record: 2 hours, 10 minutes, 37 seconds by Luka Chelimo from Kenya in 2012.
- Women's Record: 2 hours, 30 minutes, 48 seconds by Jerubet Perez from Kenya in 2019.
Past Winners
Here is a list of the winners of the H.C. Andersen Marathon over the years. You can see who won and how fast they ran!
| Date | Men's Winner | Nation | Time | Women's winner | Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 15, 2000 | Daniel Cheribo |  Kenya |
2:14:17 | Gitte Karlshøj |  Denmark |
2:35:39 |
| October 14, 2001 | Witalij Melzajew |  Ukraine |
2:18:14 | Gitte Karlshøj | Denmark |
2:32:41 |
| October 13, 2002 | Andrei Tarassow |  Russia |
2:20:59 | Karina Szymańska |  Poland |
2:33:20 |
| October 12, 2003 | Alexei Chlochlow | Russia |
2:19:33 | Gitte Karlshøj | Denmark |
2:34:57 |
| October 10, 2004 | Daniel Too | Kenya |
2:13:57 | Gitte Karlshøj | Denmark |
2:45:46 |
| September 25, 2005 | Josephat Rop | Kenya |
2:14:49 | Irina Songerlainen | Russia |
2:41:25 |
| September 17, 2006 | Daniel Too | Kenya |
2:15:49 | Lene Duus | Denmark |
2:40:41 |
| September 23, 2007 | Jonah Kemboi | Kenya |
2:15:05 | Irina Songerlainen (2) | Russia |
2:42:15 |
| September 21, 2008 | Benjamin Serem | Kenya |
2:14:44 | Tatjana Mironowa | Russia |
2:42:00 |
| September 20, 2009 | Jonah Kemboi | Kenya |
2:15:32 | Gitte Karlshøj | Denmark |
2:51:30 |
| September 19, 2010 | Raymond Kandie | Kenya |
2:10.41 | Sviatlana Kouhan |  Belarus |
2:33:18 |
| September 23, 2012 | Luka Chelimo | Kenya |
2:10:37 | Emely Chepkorir | Kenya |
2:34:48 |
| September 22, 2013 | Julius Mutai | Kenya |
2:15:12 | Annemette Aagaard | Denmark |
2:52:19 |
| September 28, 2014 | James Cheboi | Kenya |
2:17:16 | Hellen Kimutai | Kenya |
2:40:50 |
| October 4, 2015 | Julius Karinga | Kenya |
2:11:21 | Mulunesh Zewdu |  Ethiopia |
2:34:10 |
| October 2, 2016 | Fikadu Debele | Ethiopia |
2:15:21 | Roza Dereje | Ethiopia |
2:31:16 |
| October 1, 2017 | Paul Chege | Kenya |
2:14:37 | Louise Batting | Denmark |
2:38:52 |
| September 30, 2018 | Paul Matheka | Kenya |
2:13:18 | Bulbula Abebech | Ethiopia |
2:42:23 |
| September 29, 2019 | Meseret Aragaw | Ethiopia |
2:16:27 | Jerubet Perez | Kenya |
2:30:48 |
| September 26, 2021 | Martin Olesen | Denmark |
2:22:57 | Lene Broberg | Denmark |
2:56:05 |
