Marathon Stara Zagora

Marathon Stara Zagora starts and finishes on Tsar Simeon Veliki Boulevard in front of the Stara Zagora Municipality in central Bulgaria. It is a city road-running event usually held in late March, with four options: marathon, half marathon, 10.55 km, and 5 km. The format is simple and easy to follow: the marathon is four laps of 10.55 km, the half marathon is two laps, and the 10.55 km race is one lap. The start sits at about 206 meters above sea level, and the main turning zone is lower, at about 175 meters. The main course runs out from the municipality along Tsar Simeon Veliki Boulevard, continues onto Nikola Petkov Boulevard, turns near the Metro store area, and returns by the same route. The 5 km route uses a shorter out-and-back section with a turn at the end of Krairechen Boulevard. Stara Zagora’s streets follow an old Roman street plan, so runners get a straight, flat urban course rather than a winding one. The race motto is “Running is a way of life,” shared with the Bulgarian marathon series that also includes Varna and Sofia. Participants receive a race T-shirt, finishers get a medal, and the city adds a bit of post-race interest with Roman ruins, mosaics, tombs, the Neolithic Museum, local restaurants, and the Pavel Banya spa about an hour away.