The RunCzech organisers have been gradually making decisions on the fate of its races. Those scheduled to take place in the spring period to the end of June had to be cancelled in their planned dates due to the announcement of a national emergency by the Czech government in connection with the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic and the crisis measures put in place as a result.
The current restrictions have made it impossible to carry out the intensive work to prepare for events which typically gets under way several months in advance. The organisers thus fully respect all the preventative and crisis measures and believe that the situation will be resolved as soon as possible.
The first spring race in the Czech Republic – the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon – is scheduled now to take place on 6 September 2020. This year’s Volkswagen Prague Marathon will be held on Sunday, 11 October. Runners and sporting fans will also have the chance to attend the Marathon Expo at Prague’s Výstaviště exhibition grounds which will take place from 8 to 10 October 2020, with the accompanying dm family day on Saturday, 10 October.
New dates have also been agreed for all subsequent races planned for spring:
- Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon (scheduled for 16 May) will be held on Saturday, 24 October
- Mattoni České Budějovice Half Marathon (scheduled for 30 May) will be held on Saturday, 31 October
- Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon (scheduled for 13 June) is planned to be held on Sunday morning, 30 August. TBC.
All registrations will be automatically transferred to the new race dates 2020.
Anyone who cannot attend the new date, has the chance to transfer their registration to a different runner or alternatively to carry their registration over to 2021.
Runners will receive an e-mail outlining the specific procedure and further information within the upcoming weeks.
Those athletes who purchased their entry through a travel agency should contact the travel agency directly.
The Prague Relay has been cancelled this year. All registered teams can transfer their registration to one of the relays taking part within other RunCzech races. The organiser will share further details about the specific process for this via e-mail.
“When fixing new dates we consulted with the cities, regions, our partners, suppliers as well as the Czech Athletic Federation. We are aware that the dates will not be suitable for all runners, however unfortunately this year’s situation is highly unusual. We need to overcome it, pull together and look forward to things hopefully returning to normal next year. We’re really sorry that we can’t accommodate all runners’ wishes, that the races may coincide with other plans, and the races have been squeezed into a short timeframe, but we have to adjust to what is feasible right now. This year most certainly will be remembered as an exceptional one,” said Carlo Capalbo, president of the organising committee.
As a way of expressing the gratitude to healthcare workers and their efforts during this challenging period, doctors, nurses and paramedics will be offered free registrations for all RunCzech races taking place this year. To allow them the opportunity to enjoy their free time actively together with their families, they will also be able to run the dm family races free of charge.
For further information we recommend following the official RunCzech channels.
For more information please check FAQ on our website!
We look forward to seeing you soon! Stay safe.
