The running boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s helped stimulate the popularity of marathon racing around the world. Hundreds of the 42.195-kilometre events sprang up across every continent, many of which continue to be held to this day.

It's commonplace that many runners have continued to compete at the same venue, year after year, including those who have won the event. And for just about every long standing major race one or more of those winners have been successful in adding another victory.

Yet over the past two weekends, a couple of major events now in their third decade have crowned brand-new champions. The distinction of no repeat winners for this duration is a rare one.

In Florence, Italy on November 27, Alice Chelangat won the marathon in 2:30:46. She thus became the 22nd different women's winner in the 22 consecutive years that the Florence race has been held. Even the men have found repeating victories here a challenge, with only two – Alberto Lucherini and Angelo Carosi – able to add a second crown.

Then the following Sunday in Singapore, winner Amos Matui not only set a new all-comer's record of 2:15:57, but he became the 21st different men's winner over the 21 editions of the island nation's early December marathon. The race actually began in 1982, but was not held in odd-numbered years until 1989 when it became an annual event.

In addition to Florence, a couple of other non-repeating champions marathons can be found in Italy.

Like Singapore the Citta di Roma Marathon was first held in 1982. However, there was three-year gap (1992-1994) when no marathon was held. Thus the race last March was the 21st edition and remarkably both Alberico di Cecco and Sylvia Skvortsova became the 21st different winners in their divisions.

There has also been an October marathon in Carpi, Italy with the first staging over a 41-kilometre distance way back in 1969. There were many years when the race was not held and in 1988 a new race organization staged a "test run" over the course. Nonetheless there have also been 21 unique men winners for the 21 known runnings.

All of these races have participation in the thousands and men's course records under 2 hours 20 minutes and women's course records under 2 hours 40 minutes. There are a handful of marathons around the world in existence for more than 20 years that are at a lower level of quality and quantity with a unique set of winners. For example the Thunder Mountain (aka Mule Mountain) Marathon in Fort Huachuca, Arizona has had 26 different men winners, but a course record of only 2:26:50.

Sunday, December 4 coincidentally saw the running of a marathon that has produced one of the most distinctive non-unique winners. American Kim Marie Goff won the women's division of the Run Barbados Marathon 10 years in a row from 1993-2002, with times ranging from 2:50:17 to 3:24:15, and then again in 2004. However, this past weekend English runner Amy Chalk was first home in 3:05:00.

Marty Post for the IAAF