On Saturday, September 19, Mírové Square in Ústí nad Labem hosted the 16th edition of the Mattoni Running Festival Ústí nad Labem. Over 5,000 runners – including 23 elite athletes from 7 countries – lined up for the day’s main event, the Mattoni Half Marathon Ústí nad Labem. Germany’s Simon Boch claimed victory in the World Athletics Road Race Label event, the women’s race was dominated by Tereza Hrochová, who also set a new Czech race record.
Right from the opening kilometer, a seven-man pack formed at the front: Jorge Blanco and Artur Bossy of Spain, Germany’s Boch and Becker, Bohdan Ivan Hordiskyi of Ukraine, Maxim Raileanu of Moldova, and Czech home favorite Damián Vích. The group opted for a tactical approach rather than chasing record times. EuroHeroes 2026 standings leader Jorge Blanco set the pace for most of the race, but in the final minutes, Simon Boch –the fastest man on the start list –launched an unexpected surge. Making his RunCzech debut and racing on Czech soil for the first time, the German distance runner took the win in 1:06:33. “I don’t think anyone came here expecting a super fast time. Four weeks after my marathon, I didn’t feel in peak shape either. Still, I’m really happy with the result. The atmosphere was incredible, and even the slower runners we passed were cheering us on. It was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it,” Boch reflected on his performance.
Damián Vích responded brilliantly to Boch’s surge, crossing the finish line just 5 seconds behind in 1:06:38 to claim second place. “At first, it felt like a casual run with friends – the pace was slower, and I was just enjoying it. Today was a tactical battle. Simon put in an unbelievable sprint on that last kilometer and caught us all off guard – nobody was ready for it. If I’d been able to gear up like he did, we could’ve fought for first place. But the Ukrainian runner in third was closing in on me too, so I’m happy with second. The atmosphere was great – my family and girlfriend were here, and I had a blast,” said Vích. Third place went to Ukraine’s Bohdan Ivan Hordiskyi, who finished in 1:06:47.
The women’s race unfolded quite differently. Two-time Olympian (Tokyo and Paris) and Česká Lípa native Tereza Hrochová broke away from the field right from the start. By the 10-kilometer mark, she was on pace for 1:09:27 – a time that would not only have broken the European race record, but also put her in contention to win the overall EuroHeroes 2026 series. Her strong split times were aided by running alongside man runner Martin Edlman. At that stage, second-placed Hanne Mjøen Maridal of Norway trailed Hrochová by nearly a minute, with Israel’s Maor Tiyouri a minute and a half back. Although a run at the European record still looked promising at 16 kilometers, Hrochová crossed the line in 1:10:52. That shaved 30 seconds off the national race record and matched her personal best set earlier this year in České Budějovice. “I ran with the guys up to about the eight-kilometer mark, but after that, I was on my own and it got tough. The wind was pretty strong, but at least the lead motorbikes gave me a line to follow. I’m happy with the result – I’ve run almost identical times across all three RunCzech half marathons this year. It was a great race. I love the EuroHeroes series and the Prague races, of course, but the atmosphere here feels much more intimate,” said Hrochová. Norway’s Hanne Mjøen Maridal finished second in 1:12:54, while Czech runner Michaela Čepová passed Tiyouri to take third in 1:13:30.
EuroHeroes 2026
Today’s race also locked in the final standings for the EuroHeroes 2026 series. Spanish distance runner Jorge Blanco won the men’s title with 2,109 points, despite placing fifth in Ústí, his top results in České Budějovice and Olomouc were enough to seal overall victory. Ukrainian runner Mykola Mevsha took second with 2,083 points, and Germany’s Jan Lukas Becker secured bronze with 2,029 points. The women’s overall title went to Spain’s Carolina Robles (2,254 points), with Tereza Hrochová in second (2,224 points). Norway’s Hanne Mjøen Maridal jumped ahead of Great Britain’s Natasha Wilson thanks to her performance today, taking third overall with 2,151 points.
Official Results – Mattoni Half Marathon Ústí nad Labem 2026:
Men – Elite
- Simon Boch (GER): 1:06:33
- Damián Vích (CZE): 1:06:38
- Bohdan Ivan Hordiskyi (UKR): 1:06:47
- Jan Lukas Becker (GER): 1:06:59
- Jorge Blanco (ESP): 1:07:15
Women – Elite
- Tereza Hrochová (CZE): 1:10:52 (Czech course record)
- Hanne Mjøen Maridal (NOR): 1:12:54
- Michaela Čepová (CZE): 1:13:30
- Maor Tiyouri (ISR): 1:14:27
- Maryna Nemchenko (UKR): 1:16:32
