Naturally each running backdrop has its charm, but Ústí’s is utterly inimitable.  Aside from the chemical plant, the course leads runners along the Elbe Trail all the way to Střekov Castle and the city centre. Participants can also look forward to a spectacular running celebration and diverse cultural programme including the Spolchemie Czech Handbike Cup. Introducing the seventh ever Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon will gets under way from Mírové náměstí on Saturday 16^th September. Make sure you’re there!

Key information: 

• 2017 marks the seventh edition of the race.
• The Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon will be broadcast live on ČT Sport as well as online at runczech.com. The broadcast commences at 14.50.
• The Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon is the seventh RunCzech Running League event, comprising a total of seven races in five cities around the Czech Republic. Together with last year’s latest addition, the O2 Prague 4x5 Relay, a total of 82 840 runners took part in RunCzech events in 2016, almost eight thousand more than in 2015.
• The race has received the IAAF Gold Label awarded by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the third year running.
• The course race a single-circuit loop. The direction of the start line has been turned around with runners heading all the way to Svádov. During the half marathon runners will cross Edvard Beneš Bridge on four occasions and will also get to experience running through the city’s chemical plant Spolchemie.
• Running is one of the most widely loved sports in the Czech Republic and the Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon ranks among the most popular RunCzech Running League 3 577 runners took part last year with capacity this year fixed at 3 700 runners.
• The race starts on Saturday, 16 September at 3 p.m. from Mírové náměstí. Kicking off at 30 p.m. from the same spot is the dm Family Run with the Spolchemie Czech Handbike Cup scheduled for 12p.m.. The Czech Juniors Cup, a race for young disabled athletes, commences twenty minutes earlier.
• The half marathon will be kicked off by Ústí nad Labem city Mayor Věra Nechybová, and the dm Family Run by Ústí Region Governor Petr Šmíd. The handbike races will be started by Director of Development at Spolchemie Tomáš Louba.
• A total of three men boast times under 60 minutes, making them the hot favourites to win. Barselius Kipyego will be wearing shirt number one, with number two going to Solomon Kirwa Yego and three to RunCzech Racing Team member, Kennet Keter.
• Violah Jepchumba is the clear favourite to win among the women though Kenyan runners Lucy Cheruiyot and Yvonne Jelagat will also have their sights set on victory.
• Jiří Homoláč is the favourite among the Czech men though Vít Pavlišta, Petr Pechek, Lukáš Olejníček and Robert Míč will also be keen for a spot on the podium.
• After taking a year off, the number one Czech woman runner Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová (RunCzech Racing team member) will be returning to Ústí though Petra Kamínková will also be keen to impress fans with a solid performance. Other women to watch out for include Anežka Drahotová, Tereza Ďurdiaková, Barbora Jíšová and Dagmar Rychnovská.
• Joining the race as pacemakers for the Johnson & Johnson Women’s Challenge are Dalibor Gondík, fitness trainer and singer with the band Skyline Jacob Bína, former boxer Lukáš Konečný and Fabiana Bytyqui whom he coaches. Spectators can also look forward to checking out the actor Ondřej Malý and 2014 Czech Miss Finalist Veronika Kašáková.
• Ondřej Malý will be running as part of filming Úsměvy smutných mužů (Sad Men’s Smiles), which gets under way during the Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon.
• RunCzech collaborates with fifty charity organisations. Last year a total of 5 287 runners generated almost ten million Czech Crowns for the Run for a Good Cause project.
• The Ray of Hope Foundation is the main charity partner for Ústí nad Labem
• The greatest number of runners from abroad will come from Slovakia, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Poland, the United States, Japan and Austria.
• The top level of medical care offered along the course will see some new features this year. Four mobile AED cycle patrols furnished with an automatic external defibrillator linking up to medical professionals will move in among the runners. 12 stations staffed with medics (marked as AID stations) will also be dotted around the course.
• Ústí nad Labem boasts two Mattoni FreeRun The five-kilometre circuits open to everyone whenever they choose, are located in Střekov and Svádov.
• The official race hashtag is #ULhalf.

Interesting statistics:

• Capacity for the Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon is 3 700 runners
• Capacity for the dm Family Run is 3 000 participants
• A total of 39 nationalities will appear at the start line
• 66 % of competing runners will be men, 34 % women
• The average age of women taking part in the half marathon is 36.1 years, the average age of men is 37.1 years
• On average women manage to complete the Mattoni Ústí nad Labem Half Marathon in 2:07:07, men in 1:50:30
• Nine men and six women will be celebrating their birthdays on race day
• Jan, Petr and Martin are the most popular names among men taking part, for women it’s Jana, Petra and Kateřina
• The vast majority of long-distance runners are university educated (58%), with school leavers making up 34% and the remaining 8% made up of those with only basic level education
• On average a runner needs to take 17 216 steps to complete the 21 0975 km distance
• The oldest male participant: Pavel Ryška (CZE), 73 years
• The oldest female participant: Miromila Sobotová (CZE), 70 years
• 660 volunteers will help out during the race
• More than thirty thousand runners from all over the world (34 297 in 2016) will pay a visit to runczech.com on race day
• More than 130 000 users (131 785 in 2016) will receive messages from RunCzech channels via social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) on race day race day)

Used during the race:

• 406 traffic signs
• 28 256 safety pins
• 43 147 cups
• 25 247 sponges for freshening up
• 3 700 pieces of thermal insulating sheets
• 6 900 medals
• 3 645 m fencing
• 96 portable toilets

Drunk:

• 18 256 l of Mattoni water
• 3 247 litres of Gatorate (hypotonic drink)

Eaten:

• 1 354 kg of bananas
• 1 008 kg of oranges
• 18 kg of salt
• 11 kg of sugar

Records:

• World record – men:         0:58:23 (2010) Zersenay Tadese (ERI), Lisbon
• World record – women:     1:04:52 (2017) Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN), Prague

• Czech record – men:        1:01:31 (1997), Jan Pešava
• Czech record – women:        1:11:02 (1994), Alena Peterková

• Race record – men:         0:59:15 (2016), Barselius Kipyego (KEN)
• Race record – women:         1:07:17 (2015), Peres Jepchirchir (KEN)

• Fastest Czech man:                 1:05:41 (2016), Jiří Homoláč
• Fastest Czech woman:           1:12:11 (2015), Eva Vrabcová