Sport

The 19th ČSOB Bratislava Marathon is set to be a record-breaker

27.3.2024

"No looking, no listening, no excuses. Enjoy the run!" is the marathon slogan of ČSOB, the general partner of ČSOB Bratislava Marathon, the 19th edition of the largest Slovak spring running event. Nearly 13,000 registered runners in ten disciplines will enjoy the run on 6 and 7 April over the marathon weekend in Bratislava. The participation record of 13,501 runners at the 2018 ČSOB Bratislava Marathon is set to be broken.

"We have never had so many people interested in the two key disciplines, the marathon and the half-marathon, and both were sold out by mid-March," says Jozef Pukalovič, Marathon Manager. Nearly 1,600 men and women were registered for the Royal Endurance event as of 27 March, and even more than 4,500 for the half-marathon. There is also great interest in the children's runs, with more than 1,200 of the youngest runners already registered for various contests. Approximately 15 percent of the participants (1,966) are foreigners, while Bratislava residents (5,049) make up 40 percent of the starting field.

"The ČSOB Bratislava Marathon is an event for people and about people; the people are our main stars," adds Peter Pukalovič, Executive and Marketing Director of the event.

"I really appreciate that the ČSOB Marathon offers the opportunity to experience competition for all age and performance categories, including children, seniors, amateur athletes and, of course, top runners. I will be giving a special cheer for those daring to stand on the start line for the very first time and who may well be feeling nervous, just as I was last year when the Mayor and I ran the marathon relay together. I hope that the 19th edition of this amazing event will bring positive energy and adrenaline back to the streets," says Lenka Antalová Plavuchová, Deputy Mayor.

The organisers from the Be Cool agency in association with the state and municipal police, the Bratislava Transport Company and City Hall have prepared a slightly upgraded course for the 19th edition of the Bratislava City Marathon. "We are giving more runners the opportunity to line up at the start, while the course is more runnable, safer and certainly more visually appealing. The permeability of the course will be better so as to create better running conditions," adds the event organiser.

The runners will return to the very centre of Bratislava, running along the popular Michalska and Ventúrska streets with a run under the iconic Michael's Gate. "The stretch on the waterfront will be slightly shorter this time, running to River Park and then back along the waterfront. Shortly after the start, the section on Ružinovská Street will be extended on the other side, running all the way past the tram turn-around," adds Jozef Pukalovič.

"Here at ČSOB we too are getting ready for the upcoming sports weekend. We have in our ranks both the many runners who will be on the start line and the volunteers helping at the event. I can say for myself and for my colleagues that we are training hard and, together with our colleagues from our sister ČSOB companies in the Czech Republic and Hungary, we are preparing a relay competition this year as well. Out of the six board members, five of us are running. We are happy to confirm the extension of our general partnership for the next two years 2025 and 2026, including next year's 20th anniversary edition," says Juraj Ebringer, ČSOB's Board member for Retail Banking.

The ČSOB Bratislava Marathon, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, is not solely a single running weekend, but it encompasses many sporting activities throughout the year. "The efforts of our entire team as well as the six months of organising various support events, which are often done pro bono, will conclude on 6 and 7 April," says Peter Pukalovič, Executive Director of the event and one of the founders of the race. "This means that more than 23,000 athletes, from the youngest to veteran runners, will have taken part in all the activities around the ČSOB Bratislava Marathon. I'm also delighted that seven charities have got involved in our marathon activities."

From a sports perspective, it will be interesting to see whether what has never yet happened will happen this time and that Slovak endurance runners will win both the main competitions at the ČSOB Bratislava Marathon. This time it is definitely possible, as on Sunday 7 April at 9.00 a.m. Marek Hladík, the two-times marathon champion of Slovakia (2020, 2023), and Zuzana Polohová, last year's winner of the half-marathon at the ČSOB BAM, who is training hard for her marathon debut, will be on the start line.

"I was already planning to run a whole marathon in Bratislava last year. Unfortunately, it didn't work out because of an injury. I started ten times in Bratislava in the half-marathon and I won the last time in 2022. That's why this course is no longer a challenge for me, so I want to move on. If I could win the Bratislava marathon in addition to my triumph at the 2020 Košice Peace Marathon, that would be great," says Marek Hladík from BMSC Bratislava.

Slovak women have won the ČSOB Bratislava Marathon three times, Andrea Berešová in 2006, Dana Janečková a year later and Kristína Néč-Lapinová in 2018. The Bratislava marathon has only one Slovak male champion - Jozef Urban from 2017.

The ČSOB Bratislava Marathon will also include the Slovak Half-Marathon Championship. The title from last year will be defended by Martin Rusina (2nd in 2020 and Slovak champion in mountain running in 2021 and 2022); last year's winner Silvia Valová will not participate.

The disciplines at the CSOB Marathon, the April running festival, are scheduled over two days. Saturday, 6 April ("Hobby Day") is devoted to children and casual runners. From 9.00 a.m. there will be a climbers' race, at 10.00 a.m. a children's races and the "Bratislava Mile" on routes from 300 to 1,600 m, at 2.00 p.m., a mini marathon including the Senior Run&Walk (4.2km) will take place and the opening day will peak at 16.00 with a 10km race.

Sunday's main programme (Race Day) will start at 9.00 a.m. on 7 April, when the marathon runners (42.195km) and the half-marathon runners (21.0975 km) will run to the centre of Bratislava. There will also be a Slovak individual and team championship, marathon and half- marathon relays.

You can check out what the participants of the ČSOB Bratislava Marathon 2024 can expect in the official video from the previous year here ↗︎.

You can download the ČSOB Bratislava Marathon 2024 Magazine here ↗︎.

SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS FOR ČSOB BRATISLAVA MARATHON 2024

  • 32 indoor training sessions, 2 times per week - more than 100 regular runners
  • Halloween Spooky Run for children and adults (100 participants)
  • 4 episodes of the CSOB Winter Series with around 8,000 participants
  • Special Social Run at the LEAP DAY RUN on 29 February with 250 runners
  • special running training with a refreshment station (Long Run) for the public on Sunday 17 March (150 runners)
  • 7 qualifying rounds of athletics for children, with approximately 100 children participating in each round (the finals to be held on 3 April in the hall at the House of Sports in Bratislava)

NUMBER OF REGISTERED RUNNERS AT ČSOB MARATHON 2024 (as of 27 March 10.00 a.m.) Marathon: 1579 Half-marathon: 4491 Marathon relay: 612 Half-marathon relay: 1424 10km run: 1975 Mini marathon: 1161 Senior Run & Walk: 477 Children’s runs and Bratislava’s Mile: 1090 a 28 Toddlers’ race: 58 TOTAL: 12,895

NUMBER OF RUNNERS AT BRATISLAVA MARATHONS (2006 – 2023) 2006: 760 2007: 1057 2008: 1668 2009: 2246 2010: 3653 2011: 5723 2012: 6693 2013: 7530 2014: 8036 (registered 8834) 2015: 9284 (registered 10,360) 2016: registered 11,453 2017: registered 11,756 2018: 11,823 (registered 13,501) 2019: 11,326 (registered 12,500) 2020 (virtual): 1022 2021: 4454 (registered 5000) 2022: 5736 (registered 7500) 2023 registered 10,820

BRATISLAVA CITY MARATHON (ČSOB Bratislava Marathon 2008 – 2023, Tatra Banka City Marathon 2006 – 2007) OVERVIEW OF WINNERS

    1. 2006: Dziuba (Poland) 2:33:08 – A. Bérešová (Slovakia) 3:10:43
    1. 2007: Blasinski (Poland) 2:25:09 – D. Janečková (Slovakia) 2:56:22
    1. 2008: Remščuk (Ukraine) 2:19:42 – Farkas (Hungary) 2:56:29
    1. 2009: Hauryčenko (Belarus) 2:21:40 – Földing-Nagy (Hungary) 2:50:21
    1. 2010: Kibowen (Kenya) 2:27:39 – L. Koech (Kenya) 2:51:16
    1. 2011: Erkolo (Ethiopia) 2:22:09 – L. Koech (Kenya) 2:45:30
    1. 2012: Samoei (Kenya) 2:21:08 – Murigi (Kenya) 2:42:41
    1. 2013: Chesiny (Kenya) 2:18:33 – L. Koech (Kenya) 2:51:42
    1. 2014: Mwangi (Kenya) 2:18:22 – Kibor (Kenya) 2:42:55
    1. 2015: Tuei (Kenya) 2:17:18 – H. Kimutai (Kenya) 2:35:35
    1. 2016: Čípa (Czechia) 2:27:41 – Bódi (Hungary) 3:12:39
    1. 2017: J. Urban (Slovakia) 2:29:44 – Mertová (Czechia) 2:51:49
    1. 2018: Čípa (Czechia) 2:22:16 – Néč-Lapinová (Slovakia) 2:58:41
    1. 2019: Gawlik (Poland) 2:37:17 – Nováková (Czechia) 3:00:27 2020 (virtual): M. Puškár (Slovakia) 2:50:37 – Pavelková (Slovakia) 3:40:59
    1. 2021: Ilavský (Slovakia) 2:34:19 – Nováková (Czechia) 3:04:15
    1. 2022: Ivaniuta (Ukraine) 2:27:04 – Tarasovová (Ukraine) 2:54:54
    1. 2023: Ivaniuta (Ukraine) 2:22:23 – Jozičová (Croatia) 2:59:29
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