Prague International Marathon to kick off on Sunday with Czech President

Prague International Marathon will return to the streets of the Czech capital from from 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. President Petr Pavel will kick off this year's marathon, back in Prague from the coronation of King Charles III in London, and locals should be aware of traffic restrictions in the city center through Sunday afternoon.

The race is scheduled to start from Wenceslas Square and will be broadcast live on Czech Television, runczech.com, YouTube, and Pulse.TV. Over 8,000 competitors from more than 40 countries will participate in the marathon and the concurrent ČT 2Run relay race for pairs.

Prague residents can expect traffic restrictions on Sunday from approximately 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. in Prague 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8. Travelers in the city center are advised to take the metro to avoid disruptions, with metro cars running at higher frequencies tomorrow. A full list of public transport disruptions can be found from Prague Integrated Transport.

The early morning start and promising weather conditions are conducive to faster times this year. The race will feature pros such as Kenyan Alexander Mutiso, who ran 2:03:29 in Valencia last year, Sisay Lemma, winner of the London Marathon in 2021, and top Czech runners Jiří Homoláč, Vít Pavlišta, and Moira Stewart.

"More than 8,000 competitors will run in this year's race. Even though the race starts at a new location, the route will lead along the Charles Bridge and other magical places in Prague," Tomáš Mirovský, RunCzech race coordinator, states through a press release. "It is in the pair races that we are seeing a surge of interest this year."

This year's marathon includes the second edition of the Battle of the Teams, during which professional and amateur runners compete together for donations to charitable organizations. Each team has a captain and four professional runners, and other participants are also able to join, with their average time added to a final score.

Team captains include 2022 Olympic champion canoeist Jiří Prskavec (leading the Mattoni team), rock climber Adam Ondra (Rohlik.cz), Paralympic cyclist Jiří Ježek (Prague Airport), cross-country skier Kateřina Neumannová (Skupina ČEZ), and biathlete Ondřej Moravec, leading last year's winning team Generali Česká pojišťovna.

This year's Prague International Marathon also includes a special event for families with the dm family mile race. Complete beginners, parents with children, and grandparents with grandchildren are all invited to win a medal for taking part in the one-mile race.

Other side races on Sunday will include a special marathon category for employees of state rescue and security services, as well as a medical run for all doctors, nurses, and other workers in health care facilities, with both events supported by the Czech Ministry of Health.

The Prague International Marathon is a global event, with live broadcasts in more than 130 countries around the world via BBC, ESPN, Sky TV, and other channels. Images of runners in the historic center of Prague are seen by millions of viewers across the globe.