The Battle of the Teams has become for many runners a special race because it turns a traditionally individual sport into a team event. A sport that connects professional athletes who have often been fierce competitors in the past. A sport which connects their teams with hobby runners who are participating in the Prague International Marathon. The unique teams made their debut last year as part of The Prague International Marathon and will continue the tradition this year. There will be five teams – the defending champions from Generali Česká pojišťovna together with ČEZ Group, Mattoni, Prague Airport and also Rohlik.cz. Each will soon introduce its captain. Once they have been named, the Marathon´s All runners (hobby runners) will get the opportunity to join a team of their choosing, based on who they think will finish with the fastest collective time. They will get a number of incentives to run their best race and, most importantly, they’ll get a chance to support various charity organizations. The Prague International Marathon starts on Sunday 7 May.
The rules of the Battle of the Teams are simple – four professional athletes in each team will be scored for their performances, and then the average of all the other runners’ scores will be added to these scores. In addition, if a pro runs a personal best, they will receive an extra three percent point bonus for their team. A similar rule now also applies to All Runners. “There is nothing like this in any other running race in the world,” says Carlo Capalbo, President of the RunCzech Organizing Committee. “One unique twist,” he adds, “is that every amateur participant in the Battle of The Teams will be able to compete for a share of the prize money.“
The winning team will receive EUR 30,000, which will be divided equally among all the professional athletes, while EUR 15,000 will go to the remaining teams. The best Battle of the Teams participant from the winning team will also receive a financial reward. Visit RunCzech.com to receive more information.
