Hristo Tsvetkov ran 100 kilometers in an “almost perfect“ 6.56:40 to improve his own record by a full 42 minutes and for his fifth consecutive victory. The unique achievement was recorded in the 42nd edition of one of the most popular and popular competitions in our country – the tour of the mountain near Sofia, BTA reported.
Tsvetkov took the lead in the first minutes after the start at midnight and did not let it go until the finish. Halfway through the course, he was already leading by over 25 minutes on Dimitar Shadura and over 45 minutes on Anton Kadiev. This gap was swelling and at dawn the champion finished before the stopwatches counted down the seventh hour – 6.56:40 (the previous best of 7.39:54 was also his). The silver went to Dimitar Shadura with 7.45:40 (49 minutes behind the champion), and the bronze to Nikolay Stoychev with 8.23:58 - nearly an hour and a half behind the winner.
So, after three years ago Hristo became the first to finish under 8 hours, today he once again proved that he is the lord of the Vitosha 100. In 2021, he made the news by kneeling immediately after the finish to propose to his beloved, who later made him a father.
„This record is one minute away from perfection. For years, I have calculated that under perfect conditions with perfect preparation and perfect running, the record should be 6.55 hours. Today I ran in 6.56 hours and that's why I think I finished one minute away from perfection," said Hristo Tsvetkov, a computer specialist, after his triumph.
The 100-kilometer Tour of Vitosha is being held this summer for the 42nd year. Nearly 3,000 participants (runners and cyclists) are participating in the emblematic race, which this summer is also part of the "Sofia - European Capital of Sport" initiative.