The final preparations are being put in place for the 93rd edition of the Kosice Peace Marathon on 2 October and some very special guests will be part of this year’s race.
The race has gained legendary status over the years and the city has become synonymous with the marathon in running circles. With a history dating back to 1924, the event is Europe’s oldest marathon and only the Boston Marathon can surpass Kosice in terms of longevity.
Kosice has been named European City of Sport for 2016 and the race was duly recognised at the European Week of Sport Opening Ceremony held in Kosice on 10 September where the event was awarded the European Fair Play Plaque of Merit by the European Fair Play Movement.
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The race has also been rewarded with a five-star certification by European Athletics Running For All.
The city’s authorities have firmly embraced the marathon and the winners’ names are cemented - quite literally - in history. As a tribute to the marathon, a statue of a marathon-runner was erected in the Old Town in 1959 and the names of the past winners including all-time greats such as 1960 and 1964 Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila and Takeshi So are etched into the memorial.
Four decades after So’s victory, the pair of shoes which he raced in back in 1976 will be presented at the press conference while local legend Peter Polak, 68, will be lining up in the Kosice Peace Marathon for the 40th time on Sunday.
Two-time Olympic javelin champion Barbora Spotakova will also be among the special guests at this year’s edition while world and Olympic 50km race walk champion Matej Toth will also be in Kosice. He will also bring his Olympic gold medal from Rio de Janeiro which he will show to the fans.
Two-time Olympic javelin champion Barbora Spotakova will be among the special guests at the Kosice Peace Marathon on 2 October. pic.twitter.com/UXWZXyzrjy
— Running for All (@runningforall) September 28, 2016
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“We are glad that two Olympic winners have accepted our invitation. Most of all they are looking forward to the unique atmosphere of Kosice during the marathon which Matej already knows very well. He visited Kosice last year after winning the World Championchip and took part in half marathon. Bara lived in Kosice as a child so she is actualy coming back home,” said race director Branislav Koniar.
More than 10,000 runners from 58 countries will be taking part in this year’s race and the race organisers are hoping the elite fields will challenge the course records which stand at 2:07:01 and 2:27:44 respectively.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
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