Under the slogan: ALL RUNNERS ARE BEAUTIFUL I ran 42.195 kilometers on a course, that’s considered to be one of the most iconic marathon courses. It’s time for a Prague marathon recap.
The course
It’s not an easy course. 6 bridges over the Vltava river, some to be passed even twice, cobblestones and tram tracks make this unique course a special one. But there is a great atmosphere throughout Prague on race day. Most of the streets and squares in the city center are packed with supporters. All in all I have to admit that it has a special flair and that the race truly is iconic.
I felt like running on a music festival. Every few kilometers there was a little tent with musicians or DJ’s. It was loud, it was noisy, the support was great and I could tell, that the spectators have enjoyed the day as much as we runners did.
One thing you need to keep in mind if deciding to run the Prague Marathon: it’s not the most flat course. Constant up and down the bridges. Even the loop that goes to the north along the Vltava river is not flat.
My race
Thanks to my colleges from Top4Running, who live in the area, I got all the information I needed a few month before the race, so I had time to prepare myself for the challenges waiting for me on that day. The plan was to go out conservative for the first 5 kilometers and then adapt to the course. After about 14 kilometers, when first running through the finish in the center of Prague I got carried away a bit by the atmosphere and started to run a bit faster than planned but soon enough I was able to switch back to the plan I had for the day.
Despite all the challenges on the course I managed to run a new personal best of 3:16:02.
If you are looking to run a unique marathon in one of the oldest European cities, Prague Marathon is just what you are looking for.
If you want a more in depth Prague marathon recap you will find it in The Happy Runner podcast.
