140 runners earn European Marathon Classics Finisher medal

140 runners from around the world have received the first European Marathon Classics (EMC) Finisher medals. The presentations took place in Warsaw, Lisbon and Frankfurt, the last on Sunday 8 November, and make up the Inaugural Class of 2026, just eight months after the circuit was launched. 8 of them are Spanish.

The circuit brings together eight of Europe’s most iconic marathons: Rome (Italy), Vienna (Austria), Madrid (Spain), London (England), Copenhagen (Denmark), Warsaw (Poland), Lisbon (Portugal) and Frankfurt (Germany). To earn the medal, runners must complete five of their choice.

A medal with no deadline and no cost

The EMC Finisher medal measures 12 centimetres and features interchangeable magnetic city coins, representing the five Classics each runner has completed. Every piece is unique and reflects a personal story of five different finish lines and cities.

Unlike other challenges that require races to be completed within a set period, the EMC has no time limit. It also recognises past results, so marathons completed in previous years can count towards it. Taking part in the challenge is free: you only pay the usual entry fee for each marathon. Registration is at www.europeanmarathonclassics.letsdothis.com.

Warsaw, Lisbon and Frankfurt: three presentations

The first chapter was written in Warsaw on 27 September 2026, where 60 runners received their medal. Jerzy Wysokiński (Poland), Donna Dawn Richards (United Kingdom) and Martin Zackor (Germany) crossed the finish line there, the first to complete all eight marathons in the collection. Britain’s James Wagstaff also earned his fifth valid Classic in a single calendar year, having completed Rome, Vienna, London, Copenhagen and Warsaw in 2026.

The journey continued in Lisbon on 10 October 2026, with another 39 runners and a total of 99 finishers. There the circuit celebrated its first two finisher couples, from Sweden and Poland, who completed the challenge together. Austria’s Gyulnar Degirmenci completed five EMC marathons in just 185 days.

The final chapter was written in Frankfurt, where another 41 runners collected their medal and the class reached 140. Germany’s Lea Looser, aged 25, is the youngest finisher to date, and Venezuela’s Ronald López is the first to represent South America. Hungary’s Ferenc Szalai is the third to complete the challenge within a single calendar year, finishing the five marathons in 2026.

Who makes up the class

By continent, 131 people from Europe took part, along with 3 from North America, 3 from Asia, 2 from Africa and 1 from South America. By gender, there are 111 men and 29 women. The oldest finisher is Jerzy, from Poland, aged 73 years and one month on the day he collected his medal in Lisbon.

Poland contributes the most finishers, with 34. Spain has 8, the same as Austria. Germany (21), Italy (19), Great Britain (15), the Netherlands (5), Portugal (4), Sweden (4) and Denmark (3) also feature. Finland, South Africa, France and North Macedonia have 2 each, and the United States, Serbia, Venezuela, Kuwait, Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland and Hungary have 1 each.

The CEO’s words

Marek Tronina, CEO of European Marathon Classics, highlighted the diversity of the first class:

“The first 140 EMC Finishers have achieved something truly special. But what makes me proudest is not just the medals or the numbers. It is the incredible diversity of people and stories behind them. Different countries, different generations, different running backgrounds, all united by the same passion. This is exactly what European Marathon Classics was created for: to bring people together through running. And this is just the beginning.”