Race Date: Sunday March 30th 2025

Race Report by Warren Brown

The 116 123 Warsaw Half Marathon 2025

The 116 123 Warsaw Half Marathon 2025 made history as the largest half marathon ever held in Poland, with a record-breaking 14,720 runners lining up at the start. I was lucky enough to be one of them.

2024 had marked my first year in a while not training for a marathon, which led me to focus on shorter and faster distances resulting in a few new PBs in the 5K and 10K. But for 2025, the goal was clear: finally break the elusive sub-90-minute barrier in the half marathon. I’d come close with a couple of sub-91s, but I’d never committed to training specifically for that milestone, until now.

Why Warsaw?

Being tied to school holidays, I searched for a race that coincided with the start of the Easter break, ideally one that would also give us a few days to relax afterward. That led me to a brilliant website – www.ahotu.com/calendar/running – which is perfect for runners with similar holiday constraints. I’d always wanted to visit Poland, and Warsaw fitted the bill perfectly.

Registration opened in November, giving me plenty of time to put together a solid training plan and sort out travel and accommodation. I managed a consistent 12-week block, mixing in track sessions and trips to Rother Valley. I followed a Runner’s World training plan fairly closely, though I only ran three to four times a week to allow for proper recovery (this old body doesn’t bounce back like it used to!).

Four weeks before Warsaw, the plan called for a practise race around the half marathon distance. Conveniently, that lined up with the North Lincs Half, which turned out to be the perfect setup: cool weather, lots of friendly Striders, a flat course with no pressure. And I finally cracked sub-90. After all the years of chasing, it was done.

So What Now?

With the target hit, I still had four weeks left before Warsaw. Do I push for more or just enjoy the race and the trip? If there’s one thing I’ve learned from training plans, it’s that they’re great guides—but they’re not gospel. Flexibility is key, both in training and on race day. I opted for two easier weeks of recovery training leading into the Grindleford Gallop (not ideal, but a race I always do), then another two weeks of lighter training to maintain fitness without overdoing it.

Race Weekend in Warsaw

We arrived Saturday morning and picked up my race number at the central Palace of Culture (much nicer than the out of town industrial unit for the London Marathon). Warsaw is surprisingly compact. We stayed about a mile from the Palace, the Old Town, and the start line, making everything easily walkable/ scooter-able.

From our beautifully brutalist high-rise apartment block, we had a perfect view of the 5K race that took place earlier in the morning. It started from the same line as the half marathon and had over 5,300 runners.

Our race began at a very civilized 11 a.m. (day light saving had begun that morning) from just outside the National Stadium. The first mile took us across the Vistula River, and the course wound through the city’s wide boulevards and charming cobbled streets in the Old Town. It’s mostly flat, with a few short climbs to get back over the river.

The support was fantastic, especially in the Old Town, featuring everything from samba bands and live orchestras to family-friendly zones with face painting and bubble machines.

It was clear that this race was a point of pride for Warsaw. Starting at the National Stadium set the tone, and the whole event felt like it was created by the community, for the community. Around 1,700 runners wore bright orange shirts to support local causes that raised over £125,000. The event also promoted healthy eating, offered mobile breast screening, and was supported by “116 123,” the Polish emergency helpline for victims of domestic violence.

Of course, running abroad comes with its challenges, like trying to decipher every email through Google Translate, never being entirely sure if it was key race info or just marketing spam. And during the race, no one understood me when I started whining about how far there was to go (probably for the best).

But overall, Warsaw was a brilliant race in a brilliant city. It’s a place I’d highly recommend not just for the running, but as a gateway to explore more of Poland.

First male was Soufian BOUQUANTAR (Morocco) – 1:02:24
First female was Daiana OCAMPO (Argentina) – 1:10:48
First (and only) Strider was Warren Brown (England) – 1:28:31 (678 out of 14,605 finishers and 30th M50).

Striders Results