Gudeta Biratu of Ethiopia won the 33rd edition of the International Sofia Marathon held in Bulgaria's capital on Sunday.

With a time of 2 h 15 min 46 s, he has run the 41.195 km distance nearly a minute faster than Samuel Demie, his predecessor in 2015 who also won the race and also came from Ethiopia, thus achieving the third-best time since the event was first held.

The runner-up is also an Ethiopian, Teferi Balcha, while Moses Kibere of Kenya finished third.

Shaban Mustafa of Bulgaria ended seventh, thus coming first in the Balkan championship of the race.

The International Sofia Marathon was held on Sunday morning, leaving traffic across the capital partly disrupted.

Between 08:00 AM and 16:00, parts of Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi Blvd, Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Patriarh Evtimiy Blvd, Cherni Vrah Blvd, Bulgaria Blvd, Petko Karavelov Blvd, and several others were sealed to traffic.

Parking was forbidden in sections of Gen Gurko Str (between Blvd Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi and Lyuben Karavelov Str), Vitosha Blvd (between Patriarh Evtimiy Blvd and Pencho Slaveykov Str), and the lots in front of National Stadium Vasil Levski.

Traditionally held since the 1980s, the marathon has drawn participation from around the world.

There are as many as four distances within the Sofia Marathon.

The 3-km "fun run" has already started, at 09:40 local time.

A "marathon", at a length of 42.195 km, begins at 10:00.

Two other distances, 21 km and 10.550 km, start at 10:00 and 10:10, respectively.

A total of BGN 65 000 will be handed out to winners.

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