There was a lot to celebrate at the 13th edition of the EDP Porto Marathon on Sunday, a race which has been given a five-star endorsement by European Athletics Running for All.
Participation levels reached record levels with 15,000 runners taking part in events across the programme while the race maintained its position as the country’s biggest marathon with 4752 runners finishing this year’s race.
And the domestic runners excelled on home soil. Sara Catarina Ribeiro made a highly promising debut at the distance as she came through late to finish second in 2:30:10 while Filomena Costa ensured two home athletes on the podium by finishing third in 2:30:27.
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Their times also fell within the qualifying standards for the IAAF World Championships in London next year although competition for the three places on the Portuguese team will be stiff with Sara Moreira, Jessica Augusto and Dulce Felix also in contention.
Kenyan runners came out victorious in both races with Samuel Theuri (2:11:48) and Loice Chebet (2:29:13) breaking the tape first but there was also a Portuguese runner on the podium in the men’s race with Jose Moreira (2:16:11) finishing third.
The 2017 edition of this race will take place on 5 November.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]