Since 2006, the Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) has been the series that’s dominated the running space. Millions of runners around the world chase the chance to complete its six marathons in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.
While WMM is iconic in its own right, there’s a new series that’s taking the running world by storm.
And chances are, it’s a lot more accessible to you than the World Majors – even though they all take place in Europe.
Meet SuperHalfs, a European half marathon series designed to provide runners with the running adventure of a lifetime.
New to the race circuit scene as of 2022, SuperHalfs has quickly gained an edge over competitors by catering to the ordinary runner.
In a recent chat with SuperHalfs’ managing director, Sašo Belovski, we got an inside look into SuperHalfs’ mission, how its races are selected, and the future for the program.
SuperHalfs Races
SuperHalfs currently features six half marathons throughout Europe. Here are the 2024 race dates.
- March 17, 2024: EDP Lisbon Half Marathon in Lisbon, Portugal
- April 6, 2024: Prague Half Marathon in Prague, Czech Republic
- April 7, 2024: Generali Berlin Half Marathon in Berlin, Germany
- September 15, 2024: Copenhagen Half Marathon in Copenhagen, Denmark
- October 6, 2024: Principality Building Society Cardiff Half Marathon in Cardiff, Wales
- October 27, 2024: Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich in Valencia, Spain
Note: The Berlin Half Marathon is a new addition as of this year. The original five races included Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen, Cardiff, and Valencia.
The Mission of SuperHalfs
SuperHalfs was launched in 2022 with the desire to give ordinary runners access to extraordinary race experiences.
“We combined beautiful, easy-to-travel-to European cities with top-quality races. We want to give runners an opportunity to get off to their running adventure,” said Belovski.
The half marathon is many runners’ favorite race distance. The organizers of SuperHalfs chose to focus on this format. And so, they invited some of Europe’s most impressive half marathons to join their initiative.
For an added element of motivation, SuperHalfs created a time limit for completing the series in order to receive a SuperMetal.
“We believe and we know that runners like challenges and that maybe humans achieve better under deadlines,” explained Belovski. “Runners have 60 months to complete the series, but many of them are doing it in the same year.”
So far, 32,000 people have enrolled in the program. 20,000 participants have already started their SuperHalfs journey by completing at least one race.
Since its founding two years ago, 444 SuperRunners have completed the five original races and have earned their SuperMedals.
In a matter of two years, SuperHalfs has already created a remarkable running community, but this is just the start.
With the Berlin Half Marathon added to the roster, SuperHalf directors expect enrollment to climb to 50,000 participants.
How to Complete the SuperHalfs Challenge
Completing the SuperHalfs series is relatively straightforward; run the six selected races within 60 months – also known as 5 years.
Beyond that, there are just a few guidelines to keep in mind.
To earn a SuperMedal, runners must first sign up for a free SuperPassport. This digital passport allows participants to track their journey and collect stamps for each completed race.
When registering for a participating race, you can enter your passport number into the registration information. After completing each half marathon, your results will be added to your SuperPassport. Then, you receive the corresponding stamp.
There’s also a time limit for completing this challenge, but with the addition of the Berlin Half Marathon, it has recently changed. Previously, runners had 36 months (3 years) to complete five races.
However, runners can take up to 60 months (5 years) to earn their stamps for the six current races.
That being said, runners who complete the challenge before Berlin was added are given the option to earn a SuperMedal after completing the original five races. Alternatively, racers who have already completed the challenge can extend their adventure by racing in the Berlin Half Marathon as well.
Selecting Top-Quality Races
There’s no application process for a race to join the SuperHalfs series. We were curious to learn how the races were selected.
According to Belovski, program organizers and industry experts consulted extensively and invited the original five races based on their criteria of quality. Achievements like being World Athletics Labeled Races, hosting world championships, and being home to world record holders were all taken into careful consideration before selecting the races.
“We have just included Berlin. There is strong and declared interest from around 16 other European races to join and probably as many outside Europe,” shared Belovski.
Although there are certainly expansion opportunities, SuperHalfs is not in a hurry to add more races at this time.
Instead, the program is dedicated to making strategic decisions and maintaining quality over quantity. “Wherever you go under the umbrella of SuperHalfs, you are guaranteed to receive a top-quality level of services,” Belovski assured.
The Search for a Presenting Partner
When the idea for this project began pre-COVID, SuperHalfs graciously received support from the European Space Agency and their project Galileo. Unfortunately, the pandemic interrupted the initiation of SuperHalfs, causing the partnership to dissipate.
Since restarting the project in 2022, SuperHalfs has agreed to some smaller deals to help support their initiative. However, the program doesn’t have a presenting partner yet. At this time, the organizers of SuperHalfs are open to including a presenting partner and are working to find a suitable match.
But, compared to series like WMM, support from a presenting partner would look different for SuperHalfs. “We are focused on hobby runners, so the support we would get would be directed not toward the athlete field and prize money but towards services for runners and their SuperExperience,” explained Belovski.
Looking Forward: The Next Steps for SuperHalfs
With the early success of the program, there’s a lot of chatter about what’s next for SuperHalfs. Strong interest in creating versions of SuperHalfs both in the United States and in Asia has been expressed, and the organizers of SuperHalfs are keen on this idea. However, the program is in no rush to expand just yet.
“Our goal is to grow organically, not to jeopardize or compromise quality,” shared Belovski. Guest races, limited editions, franchises, and expansion are all being discussed, and according to Belovski, “It can go in any direction.”
Whatever comes next for the program, we’re sure it’ll be nothing less than super!
To learn more about SuperHalfs or to sign up for your own SuperPassport, visit the SuperHalfs website.
