The first half of the RunCzech season came to an end with the 8th edition of the UniCredit Prague Relay. This two-day event is all about team races, primarily aimed at corporate groups competing within their professional sectors. A total of 8,000 runners registered for the 4×5 km relays, with women making up 42% of participants. Before the relays, around 400 little runners took part in the traditional dm bambini run. In total, participants from 70 different nationalities joined the event.
Strong Ties Between RunCzech and Prague 7: From the Half Marathon and Marathon to the Relay
As always, the UniCredit Prague Relay took place at the Holešovice Exhibition Grounds and in Stromovka Park—the largest green space in the city. Prague 7 is deeply involved in RunCzech events. The district regularly hosts regional rounds of the Junior Marathon, serves as a hub for the world-class Generali Half Marathon Prague, and the course of the ORLEN Prague Marathon also passes through it. Moreover, the EXPOs for both the marathon and half marathon are held in the Holešovice Market Hall and the Exhibition Grounds.
“It’s a great honor for us to host such events. But we also have the most beautiful parks and the best running paths—loved by both runners and dogs,” joked Jan Čižinský, mayor of Prague 7, who also served as the starter for Wednesday’s relay. On Tuesday, that honor went to Tomáš Drábek, Head of Retail Banking at UniCredit Bank, who also ran the course with his team.
“The UniCredit Prague Relay is a perfect example of how sport can inspire thousands to lead a more active lifestyle while fostering team spirit and strong interpersonal relationships—key ingredients for success in both professional and personal life,” said Drábek. “At UniCredit, we believe that innovation and a healthy approach to life and work go hand in hand.”
Two New Professional Categories Added: Aviation and Automotive Sectors Joined the Race
This year’s UniCredit Prague Relay was expanded with two new professional categories: Aviation Cup and Automotive Cup. Participants in the Aviation Cup included pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, and operations managers from airlines. The Automotive Cup welcomed employees from the automotive manufacturing and sales industries.
There were also long-standing categories: the Bank Cup, for employees of banks and members of the Czech Banking Association; the Diplomatic Cup, for employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices, international organizations, and cultural centers; the Chambers Cup, for members and employees of chambers of commerce; and the Medical Cup, for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff.
In the Medical Cup, a standout performance came from the team Motolačka (from Motol University Hospital), finishing in 1:11:37.
“Our hospital sends so many people here—it’s amazing how many doctors and healthcare workers show up,” said Vojtěch Rybka, who final leg for the team. “There’s always someone in each department who wants to join in—some want to compete, others just want to enjoy the experience. At least a week before the race, you can feel a buzz around the hospital, a kind of pre-race tension. And then when you finish, the relief and joy is incredible.”
Motol Hospital had the largest number of participants at the event.
Every Leg Under 16 Minutes: Top Runners Impressed With Their Performances
Tuesday and Wednesday’s winning times were incredibly close—separated by only 8 seconds—and the performances were impressive.
The team WINEHOUSE.CZ (Jan Švadlenka, Daniel Noah, Ondřej Zadrobílek, Pavel Tvrdík) won on Tuesday with a time of 1:03:26. These are top-level athletes—three of them have represented at the Czech National Cross Country Championships.
On Wednesday, KALOKAGATHIA ALIANCE finished in 1:03:34. Their team included Jan Hock (Dukla Prague), Adam Malý (U23 Czech Vice Champion in 1500m), Max Matolín (Czech road running vice champion), and Šimon Ekl, who placed 5th in the 800m at the Czech Championships last year and had just competed at the Golden Spike in Ostrava the day before.
“You could say we know this course by heart—we run here at least three times a week with our ‘Makačenko’ training group,” said Šimon at the finish. “And seeing so many people here, some of whom might only run once a month, now pushed to come and race—this relay is such a great idea!”
The Event Ended with a Picnic and Music
The UniCredit Prague Relay takes place over two evenings as a sport-social celebration. The race doesn’t impact Prague traffic at all—the 5 km course loops entirely within the Exhibition Grounds and Stromovka Park. The weather was warm but not too hot on both days, with a pleasant breeze and paths sheltered by trees. There were refreshment stations at the halfway point and sprinklers at the start, finish, and two additional points to cool off.
“We created Team Boxes near the start and finish areas where colleagues could cheer each other on, hang out together, and enjoy the race atmosphere,” explained Carlo Capalbo, Chairman of the RunCzech Organizing Committee. “Our aim is to get people out of their office chairs and moving ahead of summer so they can spend their free time actively.” Each team also received picnic boxes with refreshments, and the running party continued into the evening with good food and a DJ.
RunCzech’s Running Season Continues
The next big event is the 28th edition of the Birell Grand Prix Prague on Saturday, September 6, a legendary evening 10K race known for past world records. The event also includes the adidas Women’s 5k Run and more team relays in the heart of Prague.
UniCredit Prague Relay 2025 (4×5 km):
TUESDAY, JUNE 24
- WINEHOUSE.CZ – 1:03:26 (Jan Švadlenka, Daniel Noah, Ondřej Zadrobílek, Pavel Tvrdík)
- BĚŽCI SEVERU – 1:06:46 (Václav Hladík, Marek Král, Michal Šandera, Jan Čížek)
- HOPI & DINOCO COLLAB – 1:07:57 (Daniel Straka, Anežka Kopecká, Ondřej Mlích, Štěpán Kuriš)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25
- KALOKAGATHIA ALIANCE – 1:03:34 (Jan Hock, Adam Malý, Max Matolín, Šimon Ekl)
- MÍŠOVI VÍTOVCI – 1:04:17 (Michal Burian, Lukáš Nevařil, Martin Muzikář, Vojtěch Novák)
- ADASTRA A – 1:05:49 (Miroslav Richter, Jan Rožek, Michal Kadlčík, Dmytro Iavnets)
Winners of Professional Categories (4×5 km):
Diplomatic Cup: GOETHE FAST! – 1:31:55
Bank Cup: BKČS – TEAM A – 1:15:46
Medical Cup: MOTOLAČKA – 1:11:37
Chambers Cup: CZECH NOTORIAL TEAM – 1:17:35
Aviation Cup: PRAŽSKÁ LETKA – 1:16:43
Automotive Cup: AUTO JAROV, s.r.o. – 1:32:18
For more information, visit www.runczech.com
