There where ideal running weather with sunshine on the 25th Anniversary Nike Budapest International Half Marathon brought a record number of participants! More than 6100 runners started on the half marathon distance! In addition there were 900 runners on the relay and 3500 participants on the 3,5 km fun run.
Overall 10 500 runners on the race day!
Besides the Hungarian participants there 1200 foreign participants from more than 52 countries! The most runners came from England, Italy, Slovakia, USA, Finland and Germany. There were runners also from all continents, from far away countries like the US, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Venezuela.
Since 1996 Nike has been the sponsor of the race and ever since that time more than 63 000 people ran the distance! The time records of the race were set by foreign runners. In 1998 the Japanese Sejii Hamada ran 1:02:44, among women in 2000 the Roman Mihaela Botezan ran 1:10:17.
This year the winners were Hungarian athletes, Laszlo Toth, won the race with 1:04:38. The female winner Krisztina Papp finished with 1:13:13. Also, a number of Hungarian celebrities participated on the race.
The eldest participant of the race was 83 years old, the youngest 12 years old. The ratio of male and female runners among Hungarians and foreigners was identical: 71% male and 29% female.
The course of the race lead through the most beautiful parts of the city. Right at the first few kilometres, on the Andrassy Road which is part of the World Heritage, runners faced a unique music experience: 5 pianos were set up along the road playing classical music (Mahler, Liszt and Erkel) and jazz. Seeing that Nike the title sponsor states that music helps you, there were a number of music points along the road helping runners to achieve their goal!
The organisers of the race prepared with 120 000 cups of water, 3 500 litres of Powerade iso drink, 700 kg of banana, 100 kg glucose and 10 000 pieces of apples. Almost 300 people worked at the refreshment stations; overall, the event was organised with 600 workers.
The next 26th Nike Budapest International Half Marathon expects runners on 4 September 2011!
Winning times
Male :
| 1 | László Tóth | 1987 | HUN | 01:04:13 |
| 2 | Erkolo, Ashenafi | 1984 | ETH | 01:07:22 |
| 3 | Gábor Józsa | 1983 | HUN | 01.09.12 |
| 4 | Zsolt Zsódér | 1977 | HUN | 01:09:19 |
| 5 | György Nagy | 1977 | HUN | 01:09:34 |
| 6 | Barnabás Szaniszló | 1991 | HUN | 01:10:36 |
Female:
| 1 | Krisztina Papp | HUN | 01:13:13 |
| 2 | Simona Staicu | HUN | 01:14:25 |
| 3 | Judit Nagy Földigné | HUN | 01:19:07 |
| 4 | Judit Pettkó-Szandtner | HUN | 01:19:40 |
| 5 | Barbara Molnár | HUN | 01:19:41 |