Heroes' Run
Despite the heat, the Heroes' Run was very well attended, starting immediately after the men's marathon of the World Athletics Championships. To ensure the safety of the runners, the organisers shortened the distance to 5.7 km. Ireland's David McCarthy was the fastest to complete the course, while Portugal's Vanessa Carvalho finished first among the women. A total of 6,000 participants from 70 countries took part in the Heroes' Run, including a true sporting legend, Olympic, world, and multiple European champion Rosa Mota.
Thousands of runners gathered on Andrassy Avenue for the Heroes' Run, a historic event as the world's first running race held immediately after the marathon leg of a World Athletics Championships. Runners started from the same point and finished in the same location where world-class athletes had competed for victory just minutes earlier.
Heroes' Run 2023 Budapest
Two race distances were initially announced: 2023 metres and 10 km, but due to the heat, the 10 km race was shortened to 5750 metres as a safety precaution.
Over 4,000 determined runners participated in the 5.7 km race, including both amateur and seasoned athletes. Notable participants included the Seoul Olympic champion Rosa Mota, who is also a world and multiple European champion.
In the men's race, Ireland's David McCarthy emerged as the winner, with Germany's Simon Stützel and Gáspár Csere following closely behind. In the women's race, Portugal's Vanessa Carvalho took the top spot, ahead of Casey Monoszlay from the USA and Emy Thorén from Sweden. The 2023-meter distance race was won by Enikő Lasku, while Spain's Garcia Alvaro Martinez secured victory in the men's category.
Heroes' Run 2023 Budapest
It was the experience of a lifetime: not only did the runners start from the same point and finish in the same location as the professionals, but they also enjoyed the same enthusiastic support from the fans. Along the course, thousands of spectators cheered on the participants.
"The Heroes' Run was a fitting conclusion to the World Athletics Championships road races, a beautiful culmination of the power of a world competition to promote recreational sports. For this unforgettable experience, we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us at Heroes' Square today and either ran, jogged, or walked the distance. We congratulate and are immensely proud of all the participants," said Balázs Németh, CEO of Budapest 2023 Nzrt, the organiser of the World Championships.
The special experience was further enhanced by unique souvenirs, with all participants receiving a medal and a custom-made ASICS running T-shirt, as well as a finishing package at the end of the race.
