The fourteenth year of this popular event in the center of České Budějovice takes place this Saturday, May 30. This traditional event, boasting the prestigious World Athletics Road Race Label, attracts participants with its professional organization and the atmosphere of world-class races. With a record-breaking number of 8,000 registered runners, along with the Czech and European elite at the start line, it promises to be quite a spectacle.
All competitive categories—namely the Mattoni HalfMarathon České Budějovice, the relays, and the Vodafone 5 km Run—have reached their maximum capacity for this year. Over 6,000 runners will participate in the HalfMarathon, relays, and the 5 km run, with more than 2,000 others expected in the non-competitive runs. Thirteen percent of the runners heading to the city of beer and culture are foreigners representing 60 nationalities. Among the countries with the highest participation are Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Ukraine, the United States, Great Britain, India, France, and Poland.
This year, the Mattoni HalfMarathon České Budějovice offers the third opportunity to start or expand a collection of completed half marathons under the RunCzech Halfs project. The second stop of the EuroHeroes 2026 series, which supports European long-distance runners, has attracted Artur Bossy as well as last year’s winner, Khalid Choukoud. On paper, the fastest man on the start list is Spain’s Jorge Blanco. The current holder of Czech record and RunCzech Racing Team member, Patrik Vebr, will attack the improvement of domestic record, while track runners Matěj Hřebačka and Maximilian Matolín could also stir up the race pace during their half marathon debut.
Female favorites include Kristina Hendel, a German runner with Croatian roots, Olga Nyzhnyk, a bronze medalist from the 2012 European Championships, and Tereza Hrochová, the domestic women’s race record holder. “I see familiar names from abroad on the start list, so it definitely won’t be easy. Lately, I’ve been training with a focus on the 10,000 meters, so I’m curious to see how that translates into the race,” describes the current Czech number one female runner.
Among the well-known personalities returning to the start line are professional football midfielder and Czech Republic national team representative Karel Poborský, acclaimed hairdresser and hair and skincare expert Tomáš Arsov, and Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch. “I don’t run for records or to prove something to myself. I’ve been running my whole life because I enjoy it, it fulfills me, and it’s an active way for me to rest,” says Poborský.
One of the race veterans is local runner and coach David Vaš, who has participated in the event since its first year in 2012 and will be among the contenders for top positions among Czech men. “Back then, I was just starting out with running, and it was one of my first races. Over the years, I moved from being a hobby runner to joining the elite athletes, and I absolutely fell in love with the race atmosphere,” said the South Bohemian native.
This year, much like at the Vodafone Prague Marathon, all runners will probably have to face the same opponent—temperatures reaching tropical thirty degrees. The long-term high standard of medical safety is supported this year by a group of medics in running shoes, established under the new Running Doctors project. “We are not a replacement for the emergency medical services or medical points. Our advantage lies in the fact that we run alongside the others, and thanks to our practical experience, we can remain calm, quickly assess the severity of a situation, and act. Thanks to our distinctive marking, runners and fans in the crowd can quickly recognize us and direct us where needed,” explains neurologist Zuzana Blichová.
To support the best possible performance of all participants, there will be a total of 6 refreshment stations along the course, each equipped with a misting sprayer. At the stations, which start at the fifth kilometer and then appear every 2.5 kilometers, nearly 28,000 liters of Mattoni water and 2,400 liters of ionic drink will be ready, along with almost 1,400 kg of bananas and over 750 kg of oranges.
Furthermore, the Mattoni Running Festival takes place in cooperation with the University of South Bohemia, which has provided 34 volunteers for medical points, 5 cyclists with AED defibrillators, and several masseurs from its ranks. Eighty academics from among staff and students will also participate directly in the race within the Rector’s Cup of the University of South Bohemia.
Sport in the region has long been supported not only by the South Bohemian Region. Over the years, the cooperation between the RunCzech organization and the city management has been fine-tuned to the point where even a record number of runners, and the associated number of road closures, is not an obstacle.
“We regularly receive wonderful feedback from the runners, for which we are very grateful. The atmosphere at the half marathons has always been great, and now, thanks to the Running Festival, not only runners but entire families are coming to visit us. The event is prepared well in advance, and we always take into account not only the runners but also the city’s residents,” says the Mayor of the Statutory City of České Budějovice, Dagmar Škodová Parmová. She will serve as the starter for the half marathon, but before that, she will join others to run the dm family mile, which is the only race on Saturday that still offers the last few remaining spots for running latecomers.
An integral part of RunCzech races is also their charitable dimension. In České Budějovice, the main charitable partner is the Vodafone Foundation, which supports the further development of the Záchranka (Medical Rescue) app. A musical accompanying program and a live broadcast, which will be streamed online worldwide in both Czech and English, are also prepared for the runners.
Program of the Mattoni Running Festival České Budějovice 2026:
FRIDAY, May 29
- 12:00 – 20:00 Running Expo (Exhibition Grounds, Pavilion H, Husova tř. 523)
- 17:00 Shake-out run with elite athletes (coaches: David Vaš, Mattoni Freerun) – (Clarion Hotel)
SATURDAY, May 30
- 9:30 – 17:00 Running Expo (Exhibition Grounds, Pavilion H, Husova tř. 523)
- 15:30 – Vodafone 5 km Run (Přemysl Otakar II Square)
- 17:00 – dm family mile (Přemysl Otakar II Square)
- 17:45 – dm bambini run (Přemysl Otakar II Square)
- 19:00 – Mattoni HalfMarathon České Budějovice (Přemysl Otakar II Square)
