Andrea Mórocza wins Spartathlon

Yet another Hungarian victory has been claimed at the legendary Spartathlon ultra-marathon in Greece. Andrea Mórocza was the first woman to finish the 246-kilometer race between Athens and Sparta this year, covering the distance in 25 hours, 9 minutes, and 6 seconds. The Hungarian runner finished seventh overall, with only six men finishing ahead of her.

So far, there have been seven occasions when a Hungarian woman has won the Spartathlon, with Szilvia Lubics winning three times, Katalin Nagy twice (representing the US), and Zsuzsanna Maráz also managing to record a double victory.

According to the Deutsch Ultramarathon Vereinung website, which compiles statistics on ultramarathons, Mórocza has been running ultras since 2018. Up until now, one of her greatest successes has been winning the 100-mile Korinthos160 in 2023, while last year she won the four-stage Balaton Supermarathon. One of her outstanding achievements this year was her victory at the Ultrabalaton race in Hungary, where she finished first overall and also set a course record.

The history of the Spartathlon dates back to ancient times. According to legend, in 490 BC, a courier named Pheidippides ran and walked from Athens to Sparta in a day and a half to ask for help in the war against the Persians. In 1982, a British Air Force officer, John Foden proved that it was indeed possible to cover the 246 kilometers between the two cities on foot in 36 hours. The first race was held a year later. While the event remains an amateur one to this day, this year marked its 42nd edition.