Iva Ivanova and Ivaylo Valev have been crowned the winners of the 12th Friendship Marathon in Plovdiv. The race took place on the streets of the city. Ivanova, a police officer from Plovdiv, completed her first marathon and covered the 42.195-kilometer distance in three hours, 53 minutes, and 54 seconds. She told BTA that she had no issues during the race and felt comfortable, with the weather being cooperative. She plans to compete again next year and hopes for an even better result.

Valev, who also hails from Plovdiv, secured his fourth victory in the marathon, crossing the finish line in two hours, 53 minutes, and 47 seconds. He has also won six other races across different distances during his 11 participations. Valev expressed satisfaction with the weather, which was neither too hot nor too humid. He also hopes to improve his time in the upcoming year.

A total of 28 runners registered for the classic 42.195-kilometer distance, and all 25 who started finished the race. The second place was awarded to Evun Fox from the United States, and third place went to German Steffen Weber. Among the women, Nina Rusheva came in second, while third place was shared between Malyana Ivanova and Rada Kemilova, who also won first place in the veteran category.

In the half-marathon (21.1 km), Nikolay Efremov was the first to cross the finish line, followed by Drumi Drumev and Daniil Goranov. In the women's category, Maria Mikhailova took the top spot, followed by Lyudmila Yevstatieva and Viktoriya Dancheva. A total of 79 runners started and completed this distance.

The 10.55-kilometer race saw Petar Dragnev, Todar Pavlov, and Oleksandr Rohovnin from Ukraine claim the top three positions among men. Desislava Tsvetanova was the fastest woman, followed by Sevin Abdilova and Gerghana Petkova. A total of 102 runners participated in this event.

The mixed relay team from Tri Play triathlon club secured first place in the 10.55-kilometer relay, followed by the team "Run Smart" and Tempo Collective.

Among the veteran men, Krasimir Hristov was the fastest.

The event included over a thousand participants from eight nationalities, with 550 children taking part, according to co-organizer Stanimira Georgieva. The children's category winners were awarded by Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova.

The Plovdiv Marathon is organized with the support of the Plovdiv Municipality and has a charitable cause, aiming to provide a scholarship for a medical student.