History

• 2008 - marathon race 132 runners;
  Winners: Aigars Fadejevs 2:19:57 and Irina Stula-Pankoka 3:04:38
  
  17km run - 234 participants;
  Satellite run - 428 participants;
  Kids run - 190 participants;
  Nordic walking - 94 participants;
  
  
• 2007 - marathon race 115 runners;
  Winners: Modris Liepins 2:46:21 and Anita Liepina 3:10:19
  
  Satellite run - 220 participants;
  Kids run - 93 participants;
  Nordic walking - 55 participants;
  
  
• 1996 - 25 runners;
  
  
• 1995 - 26 runners;
  
  
• 1989 - 36 runners;
  
  
• 1988 - 46 runners;
  
  
• 1987 - 47 runners;
  Winners: Normunds Fedotovskis 2:38:40 and Ruta Svilāne 3:22:16
  
  
• 1986 - 54 runners;
  Winners: Zints Vigulis 2:36:47 and Ruta Svilāne 3:16:00
  
  
• 1985 - 59 runners;
  Winners: Georgs Jermolajevs 2:36:05 and Tamāra Merzļikina 3:09:13
  
  
• 1984 - 66 runners;
  Winners: S. Jermolajevs 2:38:17 and T. Merzļikina 3:12:06
  
  
• 1983 - 29 runners;
  Winners: Juris Beļinskis 2:42:55 and Elizabete Bradu (20 km) 1:15:02
  
  

The history of world marathons

The tale upon which the modern Olympic Marathon rests is the mythic run of Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens. He was a professional messenger and, in 490BC, is supposed to have brought a message from the plains of Marathon, where the Greek Army had just won a crucial battle against the invading Persian Army of General Datis. After the battle, in which he may have taken part, he was dispatched to Athens to deliver the news: "Rejoice, we are victorious". He did this, and no more, dropping dead with the delivery.

The Marathon as we know it today is little more than 100 years old. The Marathon has been an Olympic distance since the modern Olympics started in 1896, when it was from the Marathon bridge till Olympic stadium in Athens. Eighteen men lined up at the start of the first Olympic Marathon on 10 April 1896, but only nine of them reached the finish line. The fastest one completed the distance - 2:58:50. The Greek organizers seemed better prepared, and had already made some arrangements which remain as standard practice to this day: refreshment stations were dotted along the course, a cavalry officer acted as a lead vehicle and soldiers were used as race marshals to keep the public off the course and assist stricken competitors. Personal drinks were allowed, to be administered by the runner's own personal assistant: drug testing was only introduced many decades later and performance-affecting substances were consumed with gusto, but probably too little benefit.

Before the distance of the marathon in various competitions were 39 - 40 km. The Franco-British Exhibition was being held at the new White City Stadium in West London, where the Olympic Marathon was to finish in front of the royal box from which Queen Alexandra would watch. Preserving the royal theme, the start was to be at Windsor Castle. The length was fixed at 26 miles (41.84km) and seems to have been measured very conscientiously. A late request from the Queen, to move the start back to the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, from where it could be seen by the royal children in their nursery, added a further 385 yards (352m). The specific Marathon distance determined so haphazardly in London was eventually adopted as the official length of a Marathon, but not until 16 years later. The distance stands today in metric form as 42,195m.

Materials: Association of International Marathons and Road Runners, www.aims-association.org

The records of a marathon in the world, Latvia and Valmiera

Current world records stand at 2:03:59 to Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) in the 2008 Berlin Marathon and 2:15:25 to Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain) in the 2003 London Marathon.

Latvian records is been held by Aleksandrs Prokopčuks, who accomplished the distance in Carlsrue, Germany at 2:15:56 and Jeļena Prokopčuka, who has improved her own record for several times and now, since Osaka 2005, it stands at 2:22:56.

The best year of the Valmiera marathon is in last season 2008, when Aigars Fadejevs finished at 2:19:57 and Irina Stula-Pankoka at 3:04:38.

According to the great interest and registration we believe that the Valmiera Marathon 2009 will gather participants more than ever. You are welcome!