Only hours remain until the start of the Mattoni Running Festival in Karlovy Vary, with the 12th edition of this popular event taking place today (May 17) and featuring a full schedule of races — with the highlight being the evening half marathon.

This flagship race will also launch this year’s EuroHeroes initiative, which supports European runners, and will bring together 3,300 participants from more than 60 countries around the world. “The event is excellently organized and inspires everyone to get moving,” said Jana Mračková Vildumetzová, Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, during a press conference at Hotel Thermal.

“That applies to all the races—even the dm family mile carries real meaning. It’s powerful to watch people cross the finish line together and receive their medals.”

The Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, Jana Mračková Vildumetzová, is an active participant in RunCzech races and has previously run as part of a relay team in the half marathon. “Now, with my son, I prefer to take part in the Family Run,” she shared, also highlighting the social aspect of the running festival in Karlovy Vary.

“It’s wonderful that, as part of the accompanying program, children can try out various activities presented by local sports clubs.” Players from two of the region’s top professional sports teams will also take part in the 12th edition of the Mattoni Half Marathon Karlovy Vary.

Both the Czech volleyball vice-champions and ice hockey players from HC Energie will be represented in relay teams. “A whole squad of our junior and youth players will run the 10K, along with several relay teams, and Ondra Dorot from our men’s A-team will run the full half marathon,” said Václav Eismann, coach of HC Energie’s junior team.

The ČEZ Karlovarsko Volleyball Club will also have a strong presence in the main half marathon, represented by members of its support team. Among the passionate runners taking on the 21.0975 km course will be team doctor Oldřich Vastl and club manager Ondřej Hudeček.

“I haven’t had time to properly train, so I’ll be running from almost zero,” smiled Hudeček.

“That means I’ll take it easy on Saturday—more of a sightseeing run, enjoying the beautiful views of the city.” The team’s captain, Daniel Pfeffer, will run his first race in Karlovy Vary, leading a relay team made up of players and young coaches.

“As the oldest on the team, I asked to run the first leg, which goes through some of the most scenic parts of the city centre,” said Pfeffer.

“I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere of the half marathon and especially the excitement of the start.” The Mattoni Running Festival in Karlovy Vary will culminate with the international half marathon, starting at 6:00 PM.

The day’s events begin at 2:00 PM with the Varyáda 10K, which includes the Run for the VŠFS Rector’s Cup. This will be followed by the popular dm family mile and dm bambini run. At the press conference, Martin Dušek, Deputy Mayor of Karlovy Vary, stated: “The city of Karlovy Vary is pleased with the organization of the Mattoni Running Festival.

“We fully support the event and are working closely with the police and other relevant services to ensure everything runs smoothly.” The total number of active participants in the Mattoni Running Festival 2025 is estimated at around 6,500 runners.

Everyone can follow the race live with English commentary at the RunCzech website.

 

  • RunCzech organizes running events in several cities across the Czech Republic and Italy and co-organizes a race in Germany together with adidas.
  • The Prague Marathon was founded in 1995 by Carlo Capalbo, President of the Organizing Committee, with the aim of organizing a world-class international marathon in Prague.
  • In 2010, the Olomouc Half Marathon became the first race outside of Prague. This marked the transformation of the race series initially organized by Prague International Marathon into RunCzech.
  • The Napoli Running project is part of RunCzech and organizes three races in Italy. Its flagship race, the Napoli City Half Marathon, is currently the fastest Italian half marathon, holding both the male and female Italian half marathon records.
  • In 2025, the Prague Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
  • In 2019, RunCzech welcomed its one-millionth runner. Throughout its history, nearly 1.47 million runners have participated in RunCzech events.
  • The largest race is the Prague Half Marathon, attracting 16,000 participants, with half of them coming from abroad.
  • In 2024, world half-marathon champion Sabastian Sawe set a new course record of 58:24, placing Prague as the 3rd fastest half marathon course in the world.
  • ALL RUNNERS ARE BEAUTIFUL is our way of genuinely welcoming everyone to the world of running.
  • Initiatives like the RunCzech Running League, SuperHalfs and RunCzech Kings & Queens were<> created to motivate casual runners.
  • The SuperHalfs series consists of six races—Prague, Berlin, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Cardiff, and Valencia. Runners who complete all six races earn a unique medal and the title of SuperRunner.
  • The EuroHeroes Challenge was created to support Europe's elite athletes. Runners must participate in at least two out of four races. The two best results from the four half marathons—Karlovy Vary, České Budějovice, Olomouc, and Ústí nad Labem—determine the overall winner.
  • The RunCzech Racing Team is dedicated to developing young athletes, strengthening community ties, and achieving sporting excellence, with eight world records and 150 podium finishes.
  • Over its 30-year history, RunCzech has set 10 world records and countless national records.
  • RunCzech also hosts events such as the Bambini Runs and Family Miles for runners of all age groups.
  • RunCzech has been encouraging youth participation for 27 years through the Junior Marathon Championship, the largest running event for high schools in the Czech Republic supported by the European Commission.
  • The RunCzech Running Mall serves as the epicentre of the running world in Prague.
  • Find all the accompanying information about RunCzech