Prague International Marathon takes place this weekend from a new starting point

Organizers of the annual Prague International Marathon announced Wednesday a new change to the race. The start of the marathon on May 7 will now take place at Wenceslas Square instead of Old Town Square.

According to a press release from the organization behind the event, RunCzech, the new starting point provides “more space and comfort” for participants. The 27th edition of the marathon will start in the lower part of Wenceslas Square and also finish at the square.

The marathon, whose first edition took place in 1995, is hailed as Czechia’s “most prestigious sporting event.” For the first few seconds, professional athletes run alongside public participants.

The 2022 winners of the race were Kenyan Nobert Kigen on the men’s side and Ethiopian Bekelech Borecha on the women’s. A full list of registered participants, which can be tracked, is available here.

The race grew from less than 1,000 people in 1995 to around 10,000 participants in recent years. Its route is largely centered around the Vltava River, with runners crossing six bridges in the 42-kilometer race, including Charles Bridge.

Those who wish to watch the event and cannot view the runners in person can stream the event for free. Sunday will see substantial disruptions to traffic around the center of Prague. Full information on this can be found on the RunCzech website.

Although the marathon (at full capacity) is not till Sunday, Prague’s Marathon Festival opens today at Výstaviště in Prague 7, where the “Marathon Expo” – the largest sports fair in the country – returns after four years. Visitors can see, and purchase, new running equipment and accessories, as well as various types of nutrition. Race bibs will also be available for collection. 

If you now might have the urge to run and wish to compete in a different race in the capital, you can still do so. In late June, for example, the public can take part in the less-demanding UniCredit Prague relay, which sees members of a four-person team each run 5 kilometers.