On a sunny day in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, Poland’s Tomasz Grycko and Bulgaria’s Militsa Mircheva claimed victories at the Mattoni České Budějovice Half Marathon, the second part of the EuroHeroes series.
More than 4600 runners ran from the Přemysl Otakar II Square in the South Bohemian capital in the World Athletics Label Road Race along with the dm family mile and dm bambini run, greeted by supporters including Dagmar Škodová-Parmová, the Mayor of České Budějovice.
In the men’s race, Tomasz Grycko, from Wladyslawowo on the shores of the Baltic Sea, beat his four-year-old personal best by three seconds with 1:04:01. Moldova’s Maxim Raileanu finished second in 1:04:30, a repeat of his finishing position at the first EuroHeroes race in Karlovy Vary.
Grycko said: “The race pace in the first half was more free, in a group, then there were only three of us left. I kept my own pace and then could easily speed up at the 18th kilometre and break away at the front. I'm really happy, even with the time.”
The two leading women, Bulgaria’s Militsa Mircheva and Monika Jackiewicz of Poland, were in a group with two Czech men for much of the race, but at the final kilomatre sign, the Bulgarian runner took off, storming to victory in 1:14:56 with Jackiewicz 27 seconds behind in 1:15:23.
"I ran very well. The pace was more marathon-like. But it was better to stay in the group in this windy weather. It was only at the end that I trusted my finish and went as hard as I could," smiled Mircheva, who improved from her second-place finish at Karlovy Vary.