A team made up of male and female students from a secondary school or a multi-year grammar school runs a 42 km marathon relay. Each team must include at least three girls, who run legs 3, 5, and 7.
In semifinal races, the length of individual relay legs may be adjusted according to local conditions, provided that the total distance covered by all ten runners corresponds to the official marathon distance.
Each runner completes their assigned section of the race, and after the handover, the next runner starts. During the relay exchange, runners must make physical contact (touch hands) within the designated exchange zone and pass on the relay baton, chip, or wristband.
The winning team is the one whose final runner crosses the finish line first. No assistance is allowed for the runner currently competing, including pushing or any form of physical support (no one may touch the runner).
Each school is represented by a team of ten runners, and a school may nominate more than one team. Teams must consist of students enrolled in full-time study at the respective secondary school.
The Junior Marathon is intended for secondary school students; in the case of multi-year grammar schools, this applies to students in the upper grades (quinta, sexta, septima, oktáva).
The oldest participant must have been born no earlier than 2006.
Each team must include at least three girls.
Grammar schools may enter one team composed of students from the lower grades, or alternatively a mixed team consisting of students from both lower and upper grades. Such a team may participate in the race; however, it is not guaranteed to receive a starting T-shirt. Only one team of this type may be registered.
If a school cannot form a team exclusively from its own students and joins with another school, it must notify the organizers no later than during registration. A team composed of students from multiple schools may participate out of competition and is not eligible to advance to the final.
In 2026, it is officially permitted to form relay teams consisting of teachers. The ideal team consists of four or more members, who together complete the marathon distance.
Exceptions regarding the number of members or total distance may be granted upon prior agreement. Teachers’ relay teams are not included in the official team count and do not affect the final rankings or qualification positions.
The semifinal rounds will take place from 31 March to 27 April 2026. Fourteen semifinal races will be held in regional capital cities across the Czech Republic (Central Bohemia and Prague will share one semifinal round, although results will be evaluated separately).
A school may participate out of competition if the team does not meet the official requirements—for example, if it does not include at least three girls, includes a student from another school, or includes a person who is not a full-time student or does not meet the age requirements stated above.
Entry into the officials’ designated area is strictly prohibited during the race. Officials are not required to provide information about the race progress while the event is ongoing. Communication during the race is only permitted with the race director or their representative.
Protests regarding race results may be submitted no later than one hour after the race ends. Complaints submitted later will not be considered.
All participants who are not currently competing are prohibited from entering the running track during the race.
The use of so-called “pacers” (individuals running outside the competition to accompany an active runner) is also not permitted.
Refreshments may only be handed to the currently competing runner within the designated relay exchange zone. Providing refreshments elsewhere along the course is forbidden.
Any violation regarding the prescribed number of laps during a relay exchange must be verified by both the timekeeping system and a race official.
In the case of a confirmed incorrect relay exchange, the following rules apply:
If a runner completes one lap fewer than required, after the next runner finishes their leg, the runner who missed the lap must take the relay again, run the missing lap, and then pass it to the next runner. A penalty according to point 1 is applied.
If a runner completes more laps than required, the remaining runners continue with their prescribed lap counts. The team will complete an extra lap overall, the clock continues running, and a penalty according to point 1 is applied.
If a team member passes the relay baton incorrectly for the first time during the competition:
After verification by the official and timekeeping system, the runner who made the incorrect exchange must immediately complete the missing lap.
Example: Runner A (leg 1) hands over the baton one lap too early to Runner B (leg 2). The mistake is discovered while Runner B is running. The evaluation takes long enough that Runner B hands over to Runner C (leg 3). Once the incorrect exchange is confirmed, Runner A prepares to run again. After Runner C completes their leg, they hand the baton back to Runner A, who runs the missing lap and then passes the baton to the next runner in order (Runner D, leg 4). The team also receives the penalty stated in point 1.
A second incorrect exchange by the same team results in DISQUALIFICATION.
The following number of teams advance from each semifinal round to the final:
Teams from abroad or from a different region than the host semifinal may advance only if they win the semifinal. This does not affect the number of qualifying teams from the host region.
Each school may participate in only one semifinal race.
If one school enters two or more teams, only one team may advance to the final (an exception may apply if the school makes a significant positive contribution to organizing the final). All teams from the same school must compete in the same semifinal round.
Several types of wild cards provide direct entry into the final.
Wild cards are granted to the top three teams from the 2025 national final (Gymnázium Dr. Antona Randy, Gymnázium, SOŠ a SZŠ Jilemnice, Gymnázium Matyáše Lercha Brno). To use this wild card, these teams must participate in a semifinal race and complete their relay legs without violating the rules. Their semifinal placement does not matter—they may qualify even from last place.
These teams have travel and accommodation expenses covered for the final.
Any team that participates in a semifinal race but does not qualify may apply for a wild card. After all semifinals have concluded and the list of qualified teams is finalized, the organizing committee may award wild cards to complete the final lineup, based on a written request sent to: [email protected].
These teams are not entitled to reimbursement of travel or accommodation costs.
The final race will take place as part of the Prague International Marathon on 3 May 2026.
Participants include:
For qualified teams, the Junior Marathon Club (z. s.) will cover the cheapest transport option to and from Prague. For cities with convenient train connections (e.g., Olomouc, Ostrava, Pardubice), train travel is considered the standard option.
Accommodation is also provided from Saturday to Sunday for 12 people per team.
Relay exchange points are located along the marathon course at kilometers 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 36. The organizer is responsible for positioning runners at the exchange zones.
