RunCzech is changing the world of marathon racing. The revolutionary project Battle of the Teams, which turns the individual discipline into a team sport. Anyone can contribute to the result. Professionals and amateurs. “No runner needs to be alone from now on. The overall result of the team can be influenced by both, a star athlete and a running enthusiast. The dramatic battle will end when the last competitor crosses the finish line, “says Carlo Capalbo, director of RunCzech. Battle of the Teams is part of the Volkswagen Marathon Prague 2022, which will start on May 8 in the Old Town Square. “All eleven thousand participants in the marathon can take part in the battle of six teams. And everyone can contribute to the result of their team, ” outlined Capalbo.
Last year’s premiere of Battle of the Teams was scaled down due to Covid-19 pandemic, and this year the team competition will be open to all runners interested in competing. The organizers will first fairly divide 36 pro-athletes from around the world into six teams. In each of them, the four athletes will be scored for their performances (every team has also 2 substitutes in case anyone from the team would get injured or couldn’t arrive), the fifth “scored competitor” will be formed by an average of scores of a group of registered amateurs (capacity of the team is unlimited!). The result is then decided by the sum of points recalculated from the times of all team members. In addition, if a professional athlete runs a personal best, he/she will receive an extra three percent point bonus for his team.
How to sign up for Battle of the Teams? Each competitor will choose their team during the registration process or on their RunCzech profile. Whether on the basis of sympathy for specific professionals, team captains or according to a charitable project that the individual team supports. Each team will run in the color of their title partner. These are Volkswagen, Mattoni, ČEZ, adidas Runners, Generali Česká pojišťovna and Birell for this year. “Apart from the runners, we want to attract new fans with this attractive team concept, and we also plan to draw more TV viewers into the action. In the Battle of the Teams, the champions will not be decided until the very end, “explains Carlo Capalbo. So far, the organizers have confirmed the names of these five out of six non-running captains: Jiří Prskavec – Olympic champion in water slalom; Barbora Strýcová – tennis player; Zuzana Hejnová – track athlete, Barbora Votíková – football goalkeeper of the club Paris St. Germain; and Jiří Ježek – Paralympic cycling winner, whose team Birell won last year.
The winning team will receive a 30,000 US$ cash prize, which will be shared equally among all pro-athletes (not according to individual performance). The standard prize money for professional runners is as follows: 12,500 US$ for the winner; 15,000 CZK for the best Czech; 100,000 US$ for breaking the world record; in addition to various time-incentive bonuses. But amateur runners will also be motivated. In Battle of the Teams, each competitor has the opportunity to join the title partners’ running communities and enjoy all their benefits. Some partners will offer experiences in the form of complementary family entrances to the water park or various cultural events, there are also prizes in the form of the latest running footwear or beverage supply for the whole year, and also joint sports activities with team captains.
