The millionth RunCzech runner crossed the finish line at last year’s Volkswagen Prague Marathon. All those lovely running experiences from last year are now firmly embedded in our minds as fond memories. 2019 is a big birthday year for us which promises to be something truly special! We’ll be commemorating our anniversaries, plus sharing some new features.

Set up by Carlo Capalbo and a few enthusiasts shortly after the revolution, Volkswagen Prague Marathon is preparing to celebrate its 25^th anniversary this year. Starting out with handful of participants, the race now appeals to thousands of runners, all flocking to the streets of Prague for a slice of the action. We value their patronage and feel truly blessed to have managed to bring together runners from all over the world. As a token of our thanks, they can look forward to receiving an exclusive gift. This year each Prague marathon participant will receive a snazzy adidas sports jacket making them not only feel comfortable, but also more beautiful!

And this is just the start. 2019 will also be a celebration of the inception of the RunCzech series. Ten years ago we extended our family of Prague races to include the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon  - a race which soon rose in popularity, in part thanks to its wonderful course. This year on June 15 we will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of this local gem.  Here too participants can look forward to receiving a souvenir gift from us.

With such important milestones ahead, we came up with the idea of hosting a big running party. RunCzech plans to get all running fans moving at this year’s O2 Prague Relay, which will span three days from Tuesday 25^th June to Thursday 27^th June.

All of you who regularly compete in races, will be well aware of RunCzech’s commitment to developing Czech and continental long-distance running though the EuroHeroes initiative which offers European athletes the chance to test their strength against one another on the course and have a chance of winning.  Following on from the success of half-marathons in Karlovy Vary and České Budějovice last year, the organisers are keen to continue along the same vein in 2019, this time around extending the project to Olomouc and Ústí nad Labem.

The 2019 RunCzech season will end again on Italy’s beautiful Amalfi coast. On 1^st December RunCzech will organize the Sorrento-Positano race which boasts two delightful coastal routes– the 27km Panoramic and 54km Ultramarathon. Both courses are demanding in terms of the steep incline profile, but it’s well worth the effort when you reach the top and get to soak up the breath-taking views across the sea.

More information and registrations at www.runczech.com.

New RunCzech partners in 2019

Right from its inception RunCzech has collaborated with a number of multinational companies, Czech partners as well as companies abroad. This year we’re pleased to welcome a number of new internationally recognized and interesting partners to the RunCzech portfolio.

Turkish Airlines – a carrier for elite runners

Turkish Airlines has been a RunCzech partner since January 2019 assuming the task of transporting elite runners from their home destination to the Czech Republic. Established in 1933, it is renowned for its top-notch service and comfort on flights to 304 destinations spanning 122 countries, having picked up both the “Lease Deal of the Year Award” as well as “Aircraft Tax Lease of the Year” awards at the start of 2019. Just as you might expect from any respectable airline, Turkish Airlines will also have a role to play on race day, assuming responsibility for checking in all runners to the start areas. With flights to 124 countries worldwide, Turkish Airlines links up to the entire world and is continuing to expand. We’re one of the fastest growing airlines, connecting people from all over the world. Turkish Airlines promotes a great many events and sporting organizations in Turkey as well as around the world. RunCzech holds major events and we want to raise awareness about our brand. As such we’re incredibly happy to partner up with RunCzech and be part of the most important running events in the Czech Republic.

Insurance by Generali 

Generali already garnered experience as a RunCzech race partner in autumn 2018 and following its success, all runners can look forward to taking advantage of Generali insurance this year ensuring their maximum safety during the race. When registering, participants have the option of purchasing both cancellation as well as accident insurance.

Lasvit Ajeto

Lasvit has taken over ownership of the Ajeto glassworks in Lindava and will be continuing to present race winners from the men and women’s categories with unique trophies going by the Lasvit Ajeto brand. RunCzech have become accustomed to these beautiful trophies and are especially proud of their Czech origin. Thanks to RunCzech races, these 100% Czech-made unique glass objects will have the opportunity to travel to all over the world. Trophies for race winners are manufactured by the Czech design and glassworks company LASVIT at their glassworks in Lindava close by Nový Bor. The Lasvit Ajeto glassworks is a longstanding partner of the RunCzech race series. “The journey to the top can be thorny in both sports and glassmaking. Success in both fields is underpinned by a great deal of diligence, determination, patience and hard work. I am delighted that our glass trophies will not represent a piece of nice cold glass for the winner, but also serve as an inspiration and symbol of exceptional Czech craftsmanship,” director of Lasvit, Aleš Stýblo reveals, who also takes part in the running events and won’t be missing out this year.

GEFCO is in charge of all the logistics processes at RunCzech races – trucks, cooling trucks, vans… They take care of gathering and releasing Lost & Found items at races. GEFCO’s CEO Aleksander Raczynski, who also actively participates in a number of RunCzech races, had the following to say regarding plans for the second year of collaboration with RunCzech: “Race logistics is always primarily about individual specifications, defining the exact itinerary and having the capacity to respond quickly to unexpected situations. We have this know-how. Aside from logistics for events, as of last year we are one of the countries where GEFCO also provides super-fast logistics services, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Just as was the case last year, we’re ready to provide a comprehensive service which merits such a top quality sporting event.”