# Budapest Half Marathon

The Budapest Half Marathon (complete name: Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon, Hungarian: Wizz Air Budapest Félmaraton) is an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance (21.0975 kilometres (13.1094 mi)) which takes place in Budapest, Hungary in September. The route starts and ends in City Park and winds through the city center, offering views of some of the city's main sights, such as Andrássy Avenue with the Opera House, the Danube from the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and the Parliament. The 2017 event took place on Sunday 10 September.

## Race history

Between 1984 and 1993 annual half-marathon races were organized as a side event of the Budapest Marathon. In 1994 and 1995 the Budapest Marathon was discontinued and, since it was re-established in 1996, separate half-marathon races have been held in September, with Nike as the event's main supporter. From 2014 the event has a new main sponsor Wizz Air. The popularity of Budapest Half Marathon has constantly increased; the number of participants having grown from an initial 3000 to over 7000 individual runners. Currently the distance can be run either as an individual or as a relay in a teams of two or three. Competitors with disabilities may compete in wheelchairs.

## Past winners

Source: Futanet, Half Marathon Race Guide 2013
Key:  Course record
| Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Finishers |
| 1996 | Zoltán Káldy (HUN) | 1:04:45 | Simona Staicu (HUN) | 1:11:11 | 1768 |
| 1997 | Keita Fujino (JPN) | 1:03:14 | Sachie Ozaki (JPN) | 1:11:04 | 2535 |
| 1998 | Seiji Hamada (JPN) | 1:02:44 | Kazumi Kanbayashi (JPN) | 1:10:37 | 2703 |
| 1999 | Takaki Morikawa (JPN) | 1:03:28 | Tomoko Tamamushi (JPN) | 1:12:15 | 3422 |
| 2000 | Piotr Gładki (POL) | 1:04:45 | Mihaela Botezan (ROM) | 1:10:17 | 4024 |
| 2001 | Sreten Ninković (YUG) | 1:04:43 | Beáta Rakonczai (HUN) | 1:13:33 | 3912 |
| 2002 | William Kipsang (KEN) | 1:02:59 | Beáta Rakonczai (HUN) | 1:13:39 | 4403 |
| 2003 | Miklós Zatykó (HUN) | 1:05:53 | Anikó Kálovics (HUN) | 1:11:08 | 4470 |
| 2004 | Sreten Ninković (SCG) | 1:06:51 | Anikó Kálovics (HUN) | 1:11:18 | 4601 |
| 2005 | András Juhász (HUN) | 1:05:57 | Eszter Erdélyi (HUN) | 1:16:10 | 5466 |
| 2006 | Barnabás Bene (HUN) | 1:06:32 | Anikó Kálovics (HUN) | 1:10:46 | 4964 |
| 2007 | Balázs Ott (HUN) | 1:07:19 | Krisztina Papp (HUN) | 1:12:09 | 5020 |
| 2008 | Pasquale Rutigliano (ITA) | 1:07:22 | Beáta Rakonczai (HUN) | 1:14:38 | 4930 |
| 2009 | Ashenafi Erkolo (ETH) | 1:07:24 | Krisztina Papp (HUN) | 1:15:27 | 4848 |
| 2010 | László Tóth (HUN) | 1:04:38 | Krisztina Papp (HUN) | 1:13:13 | 5520 |
| 2011 | Tamás Kovács (HUN) | 1:06:03 | Anikó Kálovics (HUN) | 1:15:04 | 6203 |
| 2012 | Gábor Józsa (HUN) | 1:06:36 | Krisztina Papp (HUN) | 1:15:07 | 6751 |
| 2013 | Henry Kemboi (KEN) | 1:05:53 | Krisztina Papp (HUN) | 1:12:32 | 7436 |
| 2014 | Hillary Maiyo (KEN) | 1:05:05 | Nancy Nzisa (KEN) | 1:15:14 | 7783 |
| 2015 | Henry Kemboi (KEN) | 1:06:28 | Zita Kácser (HUN) | 1:16:51 | 9074 |
| 2016 | Henry Kemboi (KEN) | 1:05:40 | Christine Moraa (KEN) | 1:18:53 | 8187 |
| 2017 | Wycliffe Biwott (KEN) | 1:06:52 | Zita Kácser (HUN) | 1:16:59 | 8315 |
| 2018 | Matthew Kosgei (KEN) | 1:06:50 | Zita Kácser (HUN) | 1:17:47 | 8669 |
| 2019 | Laban Cheruiyot (KEN) | 1:04:56 | Zita Kácser (HUN) | 1:14:47 | 7964 |
| 2020 | Gáspár Csere (HUN) | 1:06:30 | Katalin Kovács-Garami (HUN) | 1:18:53 | 3779 |
| 2021 | Péter Jenkei (HUN) | 1:06:18 | Nóra Szabó (HUN) | 1:12:21 | 2998 |
| 2022 | Levente Szemerei (HUN) | 1:05:00 | Zsófia Virág-Erdélyi (HUN) | 1:14:16 | 4175 |
| 2023 | Albert Tonui (KEN) | 1:04:09 | Philice Cheboirot (KEN) | 1:14:37 | 5186 |
| 2024 | Levente Szemerei (HUN) | 1:03:25 | Nóra Szabó (HUN) | 1:12:08 | 6870 |
"Finishers" refers to individuals completing the course, ignoring relay teams.