site.bta10th Sofia Ekiden Marathon to Take Place on September 6

The 10th Sofia Ekiden (Relay) Marathon will take place here on Friday.

The start and the final of the 42.195 km race will be in front of the Vasil Levski National Stadium. The marathon consists of six legs: 1st (5 km, one lap), 2nd (10 km, two laps), 3rd (5 km, one lap), 4th (10 km, two laps), 5th (5 km, one lap) and 6th (7.195 km, one lap). The route passes through the centre of the city, which will be closed to traffic.

The entrants are grouped in six-member teams, falling into six categories: all men, all women, no-limits-to-gender, government entities, mixed, and corporate. The Bulgarian Armed Forces, the Police and the Chinese Embassy in Sofia will field teams of their own in the race.  

Just as every year, the Ekiden Marathon will be held under the auspices of Japan's Ambassador to Bulgaria, who will give the start at 9:00 a.m. 

The 2024 event will honour the 138th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia.

The marathon will also render up Bulgaria's Ekiden team champions for 2023 in the organizers-set categories in Relay Running of 42.195 km.

A Kids Relay Race will also be held, for mixed teams of four children, covering a distance of 1 mile (1,609 m) in four 402 m legs. Entrants must be born between 2013 and 2010.