Over 1000 people took part in the twelfth edition of the Friendship Marathon and various accompanying sports events in Pleven this Sunday. Runners from Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, USA and Japan participated in the various disciplines.
On behalf of the Romanian Embassy in Sofia, I send you all my warmest greetings and much success in the race that awaits you at the Pleven Friendship Marathon.
The United States Embassy in Sofia wishes you all fun and success for the 12th Pleven Friendship Marathon. For more than a decade, you have gathered to help children and adults – including those with disabilities, to come together to promote healthy living “without limits.”
On May 17, 2026, Pleven will once again host an event that is difficult to describe simply as a marathon. For the twelfth consecutive year, the Friendship Marathon will transform the city center into a gathering place for professional athletes, amateurs, children, families, and volunteers—people with diverse backgrounds and motivations, united by the desire to be part of something meaningful: the marathon’s cause.
The 11th Edition of the Marathon Provided a Full Scholarship for a Medical Student.
On May 18, the eleventh edition of the Pleven Friendship Marathon took place. Over 900 people participated in the various disciplines, including runners from Australia, Argentina, Bulgaria, Great Britain, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the USA. The youngest participant was only 40 days old and the oldest – 78 years young.
Dear marathon runners,
Dear organizers of the Pleven Friendship Marathon,
On behalf of the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria, I extend my warmest greetings to all of you on the occasion of the holding of this year’s edition of the Friendship Marathon in Pleven.
The 11th edition of the Pleven Friendship Marathon the Embassy of Romania in Sofia, the Ambassador and the entire team the joyful opportunity to send our congratulations and best wishes to the organizers and the esteemed local authorities of Pleven for the continuation of what has already become a beautiful tradition of sports, education, friendship between peoples and the spirit of mutual assistance and charity for the benefit of people in disadvantaged situations.
The happy occasion of the Friendship Marathon in Pleven, a city in Bulgaria with special significance in the common history of Bulgarians and Romanians, the centuries-old friendship between our peoples and the common struggle for freedom and independence, as well as the presence of more and more participants from Romania at this sporting event, which has already gained regional fame, makes us even happier to send you, from the Embassy of Romania in Sofia, this congratulatory message!
Good luck to all participants in the 11th edition of the Friendship Marathon, to the organizers and see you again in the next editions!
Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia, May 15, 2025
It is an honor and a great pleasure for me to address you today on the occasion of the 11th edition of the Pleven Friendship Marathon – an event that has long since become not just a sports competition, but a symbol of unity, cooperation and hope.
Greetings and thank you all for coming out to support the 11th Pleven Friendship Marathon today.
I will be participating in the Pleven Marathon for the tenth time. I have been running since I was eight years old. As a girl, I was a 100 and 200 meter sprinter. Today I am the oldest marathon runner in Bulgaria. I do not have a coach, but I have 75 completed marathons around the world and in Bulgaria.
