Paphos Marathon boom
The Paphos Marathon just closed with a record field of 4,500 runners from 66 countries — more than half of participants were international, a surge organizers credit to TUI sponsorship and the rise of 'run‑cation' travel (travelandtourworld.com).
TUI has signed a multi‑year agreement to become title sponsor and the exclusive distribution and travel partner for the Cyprus event, with the contract running for at least three years. (tuigroup.com) The race weekend took place on 7–8 March 2026, with the full marathon starting at Petra tou Romiou (Aphrodite’s Birthplace) and finishing in the Paphos Medieval Fort square by the harbour. (cyprusmarathon.com) Official timing data shows 552 finishers in the full marathon — 427 men and 115 women — with nine runners finishing under three hours and an overall median finish time reported at 4:09:25. (marathonview.net) Hungary’s László Tarnai won the men’s race in 2:19:38, recorded as a new course best, while Britain’s Karen Williamson was the first woman across the line in 3:08:23. (runnersworld.de) Organisers said they expanded on‑course medical coverage for the 2026 edition and paired the event with an enlarged expo and hospitality programme led by Official Hospitality Partner Constantinou Bros Hotels. (findglocal.com) The Cyprus race now joins TUI’s Mediterranean Marathon League — alongside the TUI Rhodes and TUI Palma Mallorca events — as part of TUI’s push to grow in‑destination sports tourism across the region. (tuigroup.com)
