Running News Daily

The picturesque streets of Karlovy Vary witnessed a thrilling showcase of endurance and determination on Saturday as elite athletes delivered memorable performances at the Karlovy Vary Half Marathon. With strong international fields in both the men’s and women’s races, the event once again proved why it continues to grow in stature on the European road racing calendar.

Home favourite Damian Vích produced a commanding run to delight the local crowd, storming to victory in the men’s race with an impressive time of 1:03:30. The Czech star controlled the race brilliantly, combining patience and tactical awareness before pulling away decisively in the closing stages to secure one of the biggest wins of his career on home soil.

Germany’s Jan Lukas Becker fought hard throughout the contest and crossed the line in second place in 1:03:58 after maintaining relentless pressure on the leader. Spain’s Artur Bossy completed the podium with a solid performance of 1:05:00, rounding off a highly competitive men’s field.

The women’s race delivered equal excitement as Spain’s Karitina Caroca showcased her class with a powerful victory in 1:10:45. Running with confidence and composure from the early kilometres, Caroca gradually separated herself from the chasing pack before sealing an emphatic triumph in the historic Czech spa city.

Hungary’s Nóra Szabó claimed second place in 1:12:19 after a determined effort, while Britain’s Natasha Wilson secured third in 1:13:05 to complete the women’s podium.

Beyond the impressive times, the atmosphere in Karlovy Vary added a special dimension to the event, with enthusiastic spectators lining the scenic course and creating an electric backdrop for the athletes. The race blended elite competition with the charm of one of Europe’s most beautiful running destinations, making it another memorable edition of the celebrated half marathon.

As the road racing season continues to gather momentum across Europe, the performances in Karlovy Vary offered further proof of the remarkable depth emerging in international distance running, with established names and rising talents continuing to push the standard higher.

The picturesque streets of Karlovy Vary are ready to welcome another thrilling chapter of the EuroHeroes series as a powerful field of European distance runners prepares for the 2026 Karlovy Vary Half Marathon. With established stars, rising talents, and national record contenders lining up, the Czech race promises a captivating blend of speed, tactics, and continental pride.

Leading the men’s field is Germany’s Jan Lukas Becker, whose personal best of 1:01:20 makes him one of the fastest athletes on the start list. Becker arrives with the credentials of a proven front-runner and will undoubtedly be targeting both victory and a strong time on the fast Karlovy Vary course.

Italy’s Nikolas Loss also enters the race carrying impressive momentum. With a personal best of 1:02:28, the Italian has steadily developed into one of Europe’s most reliable road racers and is expected to challenge aggressively from the early stages.

Home fans will place their hopes on Czech standout Damián Vích, whose 1:02:52 lifetime best positions him firmly among the contenders. Competing on familiar roads, Vích could draw extra energy from the local support as he seeks a memorable performance in front of the home crowd.

The women’s race appears equally compelling, headlined by Spain’s Meritxell Soler. Owning a personal best of 1:09:30, Soler enters as one of the favourites and brings valuable experience from major international competitions.

Fellow Spaniard Carolina Robles is expected to provide a serious challenge after clocking 1:09:38 in her career. Known for her strength and consistency, Robles has the tools to turn the women’s contest into a fiercely competitive duel.

Representing the host nation, veteran athlete Eva Vrabcová Nývltová adds further intrigue to the race. Her personal best of 1:11:01, combined with years of championship experience, makes her one of the key names to watch as the Czech fans rally behind one of their most accomplished distance runners.

Set against the elegant spa-town scenery of Karlovy Vary, the race continues to strengthen its reputation as one of Europe’s premier road running events. With elite European talent assembled across both fields, spectators can expect an afternoon filled with aggressive racing, tactical battles, and potentially outstanding times on Czech soil.

The Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon is approaching. This Saturday, May 21, starts one of the most beautiful Czech races! 

For several years now, RunCzech has been organizing an international race in Karlovy Vary, which attracts professional athletes and enthusiasts runners.

The 9th edition of the Mattoni 1/2 Marathon Karlovy Vary will start from Nábřeží Osvobození at 6:00 p.m. Since registrations are still free, don’t hesitate and sign up today!

“RunCzech offers to runners a truly unique sports experience. Karlovy Vary, along with ten other European spa towns, is now inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon is certainly one of the best ways to fully enjoy the heritage of a beautiful spa town,” said Igor Murko, manager of the RunCzech regional races.

The marathon will feature several categories on Saturday. In addition to the 1/2 Marathon, a 2Run is prepared for runners who do not yet feel completely ready for the whole race.

The first competitor runs 10 km and the second then finishes 11 km to the distance of the half Marathon. The relay race is ideal alternative for team runners. Of course, the traditional dm family run which will start at 4 p.m, is prepared for all family members.

The undemanding 3 km long course in the center of Karlovy Vary is really suitable for everybody.

The first steps of the competitors always lead to the Hotel Thermal where runners can pick up the start numbers. The Running Expo starts on Friday 20.5. (12:00 – 18:00) and will last until Saturday between 10:00 and 15:00.

To pick up the start number, you need your ID and an assigned start number from the RunCzech application, which runners will also find in the Runners ID profile.

Prestigious  victory in the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon, in the Czech Republic, with Yassine Rachik who established herself in 1:02:59, three weeks from 2:08:05 in the London marathon, the fourth Italian ever and best national result in the last thirteen years.

The 25-year-old, registered for the Athletics Casone Noceto, won clearly at the end of a race conducted for more than half in solitary, clearly detaching the Ukrainians Roman Romanenko, defending champion, second in 1:04:39, and Mykola Iukhymchuk, third in 1:04:58.

For Yassine this is his fourth career performance on the half, with the PB stopped at 1:02:13 obtained in 2017 in Agropoli.

"I'm really happy for what I managed to do. I thought I wasn't doing too well after the marathon, but instead I had a good time running around feeling. I found myself in the lead from the seventh kilometer, with a stretch, then I tried to go on by myself and I didn't lose anything on the rhythm ”, the words of the blue.

In the women's field the victory of the Moldovan Lilia Fisikovici in 1:12:34 on the Ukrainian Olha Kotovska, second in 1:14:32, and Viktoria Kalyuzhna, third in 1:14:45.

Yassine Rachik ran 2:08:05 at the London marathon which is best result of an Italian in the last thirteen years.  He will be on the staring line Saturday May 18 at the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon in the Czech Republic.

The Atletica Casone Noceto runner has chosen to run this half marathon, which will start in the unusual afternoon time of 6.00 pm. For the 25-year-old from Bergamo, an all-European challenge in the first stage of the "EuroHeroes" project which aims to highlight the continent's athletes.

Other elite runners in the field include the Ukrainian Roman Romanenko, winner of the last edition, and the Spanish El Hassan Oubaddi. 

This season, Rachik, who won the bronze medal at the Berlin European Championships last summer, came close to a half marathon personal record clocking 1: 02.29 on the streets of Naples, in February, sixteen seconds off his PR time of 1:02:13 made in Agropoli in 2017 when he won the Italian title for the distance.

Yassine Rachik is a born Moroccan male Italian long-distance runner who won his country's senior national championship three times and an individual bronze medal at the 2018 European Athletics Championships. He became an Italian citizen in 2015. 

During his career he also won the gold medal with the national team in the 2018 European Athletics Championships – Men's Marathon Cup, and also at U-23 level at the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships held in Tallinn.

The sixth Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon has drawn top runners from all over Europe to the spa town. Designed to promote the development of athletics on the Old Continent, new RunCzech initiative (in cooperation with European Athletics) EuroHeroes will get underway in Karlovy Vary. Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová is the hot favorite to win the women’s race. 

She smashed the longstanding Czech half marathon record with her 1:11:01 performance at this year’s Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon. “Competing at the European Championships is my main focus for me this year, but I’m also really looking forward to running in Karlovy Vary," says Eva, who is expected to launch an assault on the Czech event record of 1:17:31 held by Ivana Sekyrová since 2013. She’s likely to face high calibre competition from Lithuanian Olympian Vaida Zusinaite.

Sekyrová will also be keen to leave her mark as will Petra Kamínková from Olomouc who has claimed victory among the Czech women for the past three years in a row. "I want to soak up the atmosphere and give it my best." Six men with personal bests under 1:04 will be on the start line. Young Spanish talent Houssam Benabbou, who recently ran a new personal best of 1:03:35, is expected to deliver a high calibre performance.  EuroHeroes is a new initiative by RunCzech to celebrate European running stars and promote active lifestyles in Europe. The initiative aims to find new sporting heroes and motivate the public to exercise.